F1: AlphaTauri Launches 2021 Challenger AT02

Scuderia AlphaTauri has become second team to reveal their 2021 challenger, On 19th February team unveiled its 2021 car – the AT02 – in an all-new matte blue and white livery, alongside its drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.

The launch – held at AlphaTauri’s new showroom in Salzburg, Austria, and presented digitally – saw Red Bull’s premium fashion brand model its Autumn/Winter 2021 collection together with the team’s new-look for the upcoming 2021 Formula 1 season.

After a successful first season racing in the AlphaTauri colours, the Italian outfit is looking to challenge the top of the ultra-competitive midfield in 2021, putting its faith in the new pairing. Since debuting with the team in 2017, Gasly has earned two F1 podiums – including a spectacular maiden win at Monza in 2020 – meaning his experience with the team will allow him to step-up to a team leader role.

Joining the Frenchman will be 20-year-old Tsunoda, the first Japanese driver to race in F1 since 2014. His promotion to F1 comes off the back of a fast, four-season trajectory; from winning the 2018 F4 Japanese Championship and finishing third in the 2020 FIA F2 Championship to entering the top-level ranks this year. Expectations are high for his rapid style of learning to complement the experience of Gasly.

“The decision to go for Pierre and Yuki in 2021 was taken because Scuderia AlphaTauri’s philosophy is still to give talented young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Program the opportunity to step up to F1 and to educate them – this is why Yuki now gets his chance,” explained Team Principal, Franz Tost. “With Pierre on Yuki’s side we have an experienced driver, who can help our Japanese rookie to develop faster, but at the same time we can aim for good results. I think this pair is the best possible scenario to achieve both our targets, and I’m also confident this will be a successful one.”

In 2020, Scuderia AlphaTauri won best livery by a landslide, and the team’s new racecar livery took centre stage with the drivers at the fashion event, anticipating the 2021 model that will debut on track at pre-season testing in Bahrain. The test is the precursor to an unprecedented 23-race schedule, and in preparation for the demanding calendar both drivers have spent time at Red Bull’s Athlete Performance Center for intense fitness testing.

“I’m ready to take on the role of team leader. Yuki is a very quick driver, and he will help us move the team forward – we will work together to achieve that,” said Pierre Gasly, the team’s all-time top points scorer. “I really believe last year was the team’s best in terms of the way it worked, the development, the performance and the way it managed the race weekends. I’m always hungry for more, and I’m sure we can achieve great things in 2021.”

Yuki Tsunoda, who was honoured with the Anthoine Hubert Award for best Formula 2 rookie in 2020, added, “I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time with Scuderia AlphaTauri ahead of the season, so I’m already developing strong relationships and learning a lot from them – including Pierre, who is an incredible talent. My main goal is to learn quickly and deliver results as soon as possible, and I’m really excited to get started.”

The launch at AlphaTauri headquarters not only gave Gasly and Tsunoda a preview of the AlphaTauri Autumn/Winter 2021 fashion collection, but the drivers had the chance to select their new off-grid look ahead of the season start. Ahmet Mercan, CEO AlphaTauri, summarized: “This is a triple reveal at a unique point of time: a new AlphaTauri Showroom where fashion meets F1, a first look at the AW21 AlphaTauri collection and the unveiling of the new Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 livery and driver pairing.”

Scuderia AlphaTauri fans don’t have long to wait for racing action: The Formula 1 season kicks off at the Bahrain Test, 12 – 14 March, getting ready for the first round, the Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March.