AlphaTauri looking for their own ‘little victories’ starting with the Australian Grand Prix

AlphaTauri currently sits at the bottom of the Formula 1 Constructors’ standings, as they are just one of two teams yet to secure a point through the first two races of the F1 season.

With the circuit in Melbourne for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, the team — and their drivers — are keeping the expectations realistic for both this weekend, and beyond.

“We are realistic and smart enough to understand that, at the moment, we won’t be fighting for race wins with Scuderia AlphaTauri, so we just look for our own little victories within the championship,” said Nyck de Vries in the team’s media preview ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix. “Obviously, as a team, we want to be further up the grid and be more competitive in going for points, and we will continue to strive and push for that. Whatever situation a team is in, I think the work is still very similar. The kind of commitment and desire to excel is exactly the same.”

For de Vries, who finished P14 in both races this season, there is hope that some expected upgrades will put the team in a better position in Australia. “We will have some updates in Australia, but it’s impossible to say what effect that will have, as other teams are also pushing and developing, so it will be an ongoing process that will hopefully allow us to be a little bit more competitive within the midfield but until qualifying, we won’t know,” said the rookie driver. “Obviously, there is always a little bit of [optimization] to do with the car as it is, but it’s also a moving target. If you add performance to the car, then we might need to reassess or rethink how we execute the best performance out of it, but we clearly need more points of downforce, so we will have to see what the upgrades deliver.”

Teammate Yuki Tsunoda is also looking to turn the page after a tough Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Tsunoda was locked in a battle with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen for tenth place in Jeddah, and was forced to settle for P11 when he was passed in the closing laps.

His second-straight eleventh-place finish.

Still, he found enjoyment in the battle with Magnussen, despite finishing out of the points.

“Another eleventh place in Saudi after the same result in Bahrain was a bit frustrating as I was so near to getting in the points. The car was more suited to Jeddah than to Sakhir and overall, the team did a good job with the package we had, making a step forward in terms of race pace. I was happy with my own performance, fighting for points, and also with how the team worked,” said Tsunoda. “We knew the car’s limitations, and these are more visible when you are having to fight with other cars in the actual race, as the limitations are exaggerated in that situation. We struggled for straight-line speed, so I was quite pleased that I could hang on until the last four laps in my battle with Magnussen for P10. I enjoyed the fight, it was good fun.”

Tsunoda is also hoping that the minor developments and upgrades to the team’s AT04, their challenger for the 2023 campaign. “We will have some aero updates for this race and my focus will be on giving the team good feedback about them,” said the second-year driver. “If they work well, I hope it means I can extract as much performance as possible from the car and fight for points again.”

Both drivers are looking ahead to the challenges presented by the Australian Grand Prix, in particular de Vries, who is making his first trip to Melbourne. “After Saudi, I spent two days in the simulator preparing for Australia. I see the value in it as part of our preparation and hopefully therefore performance on track, I do it with joy because ultimately, I believe it can help us on track and it’s also good to continue to practice your driving techniques and skills,” said de Vries. “I’ve never been to Melbourne, never been to Australia, so it’s going to be a completely new experience for me. I’m very much looking forward to travelling to the other side of the world and to see what it’s like over there.”

Tsunoda, who finished P15 in last year’s Australian Grand Prix, is hoping for a much better result this time around. “Last year, I didn’t have a particularly good weekend in Melbourne, but I enjoyed the overall experience of being in Australia, in Melbourne, where the atmosphere is really good around the circuit. I like the track and so this time, I came out to Melbourne quite early to get over the jet lag and acclimatise, but also to enjoy the city and the beach for a couple of days before starting work.”

The work begins with open practices on Friday, and here is how you can follow along.