AlphaTauri AT04 Speculation Thread

[continuum16]

2022 is over; it's time to crack on with everyone's favorite time of the year; December through February... speculation season

Seems like, according to Gasly, the AT04 will be quite different from its predecessor.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/gasly ... /10409635/

Not surprising given the AT03 yielded the team's lowest WCC position in forever. Realistically, given the development direction of the AT01 and AT02, I expect the new car to have a decent resemblance to the RB18, with a few differences. Although there's not information sharing, it would make sense to follow the RB concept given they use many parts from them.

Perhaps we will see the trick front suspension setup of the RB18 appear? I know in the past they have used suspension components from RB, although in 2022 did not.

[Henk_v]

Reports just got online that AT will take less RB parts and will switch to a New car concept. According to Gasly the AT engineers say they are building their best car ever.

I'm unsure if we really need to take the report too seriously. If you want to confuse the opposition, have your exiting driver talk nonsense...

[Wouter]

Only 10 and a half hour before the "new" car will be launched. I think it will only be a livery launch as the image shows.

[cplchanb]

At least at has the integrity to be clear its a livery launch....the sister team however...

[Wouter]

You can watch it here in about 34 minutes.

[wogx]

AT03 for comparision

[Blackout]

Interesting change on the shape and size of that rollhoop intake...

[Sevach]

If that is the actual car seems like they are going for shoulders on the sidepod

[organic]

Not sure whether to analyse this... But interesting that the roll hoop inlet has gotten smaller and the sidepod inlets larger.

[Venturiation]

Not sure whether to analyse this... But interesting that the roll hoop inlet has gotten smaller and the sidepod inlets larger.

The RB19 inlet looked smaller too if it wasn't an illusion with motion blur

[organic]

Not sure whether to analyse this... But interesting that the roll hoop inlet has gotten smaller and the sidepod inlets larger.

The RB19 inlet looked smaller too if it wasn't an illusion with motion blur

Indeed not reading into it a huge amount but I really think looking at all photos RB have taken quite a bit of their centre-line cooling away and a smaller roll hoop inlet to go with that would make some sense

Now alpha tauri doing the same.. and with other teams like Haas going further down this route. It seems to have some potential

If you already have the huge sidepods for aerodynamic reasons, is there a large drawback to opt for Ferrari-style cooling layout with most/all in the sidepod?

[organic]

Scarbs analysed the released AT04 images quite a bit. Based on things like the mirror 'supports' being the exact same design as last year's car and other things not seeming as refined as I'd expect of a real car, I'm feeling the images released are an earlier design - not what we'll see do a shakedown



But nonetheless interesting. If AT really haven't adopted RB18 suspension I don't understand why not

[Vanja #66]

As silly as this sounds, Orlen stickers look to be photoshopped on the car renders, on high-res pictures they are clearly worse quality than the rest of the car (red parts around white letters in particular). Red surfaces also seem to lack adequate shading. This makes me think this is an older AT04 design, from 2-3 months ago maybe.

[Blackout]

[organic]

https://i.imgur.com/9tgySjV.jpg

So many parts are the exact same as last year I just don't buy it. Feels like they've taken render of old car and edited only a few parts eg sidepod inlets and airbox

New car doesn't even have the double t-tray which seems like something every car would have this year