AlphaTauri set to compete with the same driver pairing in 2022
Just days ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, AlphaTauri has announced that it will retain its current driver pairing for the forthcoming 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship.
The Faenza-based outfit joined Alfa Romeo and Mercedes in announcing news regarding its 2022 driver line-up. However, while the Hinwil and Brackley based squads have confirmed changes, AlphaTauri is set to retain its current driver pairing for next season.
Pierre Gasly has been with the team since 2017 with a short spell at Red Bull, while his team mate Yuki Tsunoda made his debut in Formula One with AlphaTauri at the start of the current season. The pairing has shown a positive working relationship on-and-off track with the pair having scored a total of 72 points. Gasly has finished in the points in ten of the thirteen races, registering his best result with a third place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. By contrast, his team mate from Kanagawa has scored points in five grands prix.
Gasly, who finished in P4 at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, added: “I am very happy to be moving forward with Scuderia AlphaTauri for another season in Formula 1, especially after seeing the progress that we’ve made as a team since I first joined in 2017.
“Seeing the performance we’ve shown so far this season, I think there are great things to achieve for the rest of this season and for next year, especially with the upcoming changes to the championship in 2022.
“I’m very excited to see what we can accomplish in the new era of F1 and to keep working with the team as best as I can to bring us forward in the team standings. This year has been very successful so far and I really believe we can work well together to do even better in 2022.”
Tsunoda, who made his debut at this season’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, commented: “I’m really excited to be staying with Scuderia AlphaTauri for a second season. It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m so thankful to the team for letting me continue to grow my experience in Formula 1 with them.
“I have a very good relationship with Pierre, I have learnt a lot from him already this year and his experience has helped me to keep developing my own skills, so it’s great to be continuing my F1 journey with him. Having recently moved out to Faenza I am feeling very settled within the team and am looking forward to the upcoming season,” concluded Tsunoda.
“Pierre’s development in the years has been impressive and in his time with us he managed to make it to all three steps of the podium,” said AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost. “I am confident there’s more to come and this is why we are excited to have him with us for another season.
“Furthermore, he is using his experience in F1 to help Yuki with his development. This year we have seen that the positive relationship between the two, made of a competitiveness on-track and a friendship off-track, has proven effective for the team.”
