There are two midfield teams worth watching in early 2024: Williams and AlphaTauri. The 7th and 8th-placed teams from last year could take a step forward and try to overtake Alpine. Last year, the French outfit ended with 120 points – roughly double the points scored by Williams (28) and AlphaTauri (25) combined.
Laurent Mekies and AlphaTauri: ambitious goals and new resources
Last January 8th, the first meeting took place between the new Team Principal, Laurent Mekies, and his engineers from the Faenza team.
The former Ferrari sporting director highlighted the objectives and ambitions for the present and the immediate future.
For 2024, AlphaTauri will aim to fight in the “top-midfield” and 5th in the constructors’ championship.
This is an ambitious goal, but is in line with the performances of last year’s updated AT04. Mekies also had the opportunity to discuss the internal reorganisation of the Italian team.
Binotto’s former “right-hand man” has had plenty of time to reflect, having spent the last six months on “gardening leave”. After many years away, he returns to his old team in Faenza.
The Frenchman has taken the first steps to understand how to optimise the internal reorganisation of AlphaTauri and its players.
It is well-documented that AlphaTauri wants to strengthen its relationship with Red Bull. The entire aerodynamic department will move from Bicester to Milton Keynes by the end of the current year.
The aim is to be fully operational in 2025, when work can be done on the new technical regulations for the 2026 cars.
In this regard, Mekies will look to sign new personnel and bolster the team’s human resources.
The first important names, including former Alpine sporting director Alan Permane (and the former FIA Technical Director Tim Gross), should begin to arrive around mid-2024
Still, it seems some other well-known names will pass through Modena and its surroundings.
The new AlphaTauri: Sidepods will take up some features of Mclaren and Aston Martin
Since the dawn of this regulatory change, AlphaTauri has placed its trust in the downwash sidepod concept. The team doubled down on this approach at the end of 2022.
This is deemed as the concept with the greatest potential for development. In 2024, practically all teams will use it on their cars.
However, it was only one of the winning elements on the RB19’s car. After all, teams like Sauber also used this concept – but only finished 9th place in the World Championship.
The technical director of AlphaTauri, Jody Egginton, thus wanted to underline how the downwash belly route is the best but does not offer any guarantee because “the devil is in the details.”
How the AlphaTauri AT04 evolved in the final 2023 – Illustration Rosario Giuliana
“There are cars that don’t get on the podium every weekend, but they have some really interesting features. We always look at what other teams are doing.
“In the end, it’s about putting it all together and understanding it,” continued the English coach.
Therefore, it should not be surprising that the first Racing Bulls will have, in addition to the pull rod front suspension of the RB19, sidepods evolved from the AT04.
However, they will have characteristics taken from Mclaren and Aston Martin, two of the cars that used ‘ very aggressive waterslides.
The aerodynamic development of the AT04 from the beginning of the season up to Abu Dhabi – Illustration Rosario Giuliana
The aerodynamic platform of the Italian-English car has been revised to be as complete as possible. Improving drivability and aerodynamics will be the primary aims.
Ideally, this will translate to performance regardless of the circuit characteristics.
“With these new cars, there are many pitfalls and things you need to pay attention to”, the AlphaTauri technical explains.
“It is important not to fall into the trap of being too attracted by certain operating modes of the car and end up losing certain driving characteristics,” warns Eddington.
This is something that cost Aston Martin and Ferrari last year.
Authors: Rosario Giuliana & Piergiuseppe Donadoni
Translation: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
