AlphaTauri has presented the AT03, its first single-seater for the new technical regulations that will be released in 2022. We analyze some of its most interesting elements, as well as the differences with other cars already seen.
There are already five teams presented and it is time to analyze the novelties offered by the AlphaTauri AT03the single-seater with which the Italian squad will try to get into the top five teams in a 2022 season in which the new technical regulations promise to revolutionize Formula 1.
Naturally, the cars presented do not offer their full potential, as many of their surprises are saved for the pre-season tests and the first race of the year. But, in any case, some brushstrokes can be seen and also the potential points of greatest design disparity.
It seems that this year this will be the zone of the pontoons and the ground of the single-seater, because of the four cars that we have seen so far, three offer different concepts from each other.
Morro less evolved
It is very likely that this area will be one of the changes in the AT03, as what AlphaTauri has presented us with is a longer and more conventional nose than the one we have seen in the Aston Martin AMR22 and McLaren MCL36.
In this case, the tip is much longer (one) and even exceeds the leading edge of the main plane, which unlike its rivals is not suspended above the second plane, but directly anchored to the nose.
In addition, the suspension is push rod (6)as in the case of the Aston Martin and unlike the McLaren, which has opted for the pull rod. The air intake for the brakes incorporates an aerodynamic fin in the lower area (3) and the opening of the pontoons is square (4)resembles that of the AMR22, although in this case it seems somewhat larger.
Finally, in the image we can see something that has not been visible in the digital recreations of other equipment: the input channels (5) to the lower area of the car and that are responsible for creating the ground effect and feeding the diffuser located at the rear.
pontoons
We arrive at the area that presumably will provide us with the most differences this year in the designs of each car. Not in vain, the AlphaTauri has presented a different concept from that of Aston Martin and McLaren, collecting in a way the same philosophy of 2021 and, also, a compendium of both ideas.
The most advanced part follows the same concept as Aston Martin, with a suspended pontoon that generates a undercut (excavation at the base) very pronounced. That allows a lot of circulation space for the aerodynamic flow through the bottom, over the ground. (red line).
In addition, as the pontoon is directed to the rear, it generates a drop (green lines) that ends up favoring the meeting of the upper and lower flow when reaching the upper part of the diffuser. This is combined with flaring caused by the need to extract hot air from inside (pink lines) and with a superior bulge (7) which has the same purpose. The latter concepts that are more in line with McLaren.
In the following comparison, we see how the Aston Martin uses a cooling in the form of gills on the top of some pontoons that seem to house radiators in a horizontal arrangement, which allows a very narrow final part. On the other hand, both the McLaren and the AlphaTauri prefer to extract the hot air from behind, over the gearbox, and with a wider chimney.
There’s not much more to say about the AlphaTauri AT03 at the moment, but at least it allows us to see that teams are making different interpretations of what they consider to be the most favorable design for their interests. Which of them will end up getting it right? And how many surprises await us in the pre-season tests?
Remember, in our F1 Technical section you can find all the technical news related to the 2022 season and Formula 1 in general.