AlphaTauri Formula 1 car gets another floor

AlphaTauri is having a blast. For the United States Grand Prix, the Formula 1 team are once again coming up with a new floor for the race cars.

It is not the first time this year. At the Singapore Grand Prix, the Italian team already introduced a major update package, including a new floor. At the previous race, the Qatar Grand Prix, it was another hit. There, too, the team came out with an updated floor.

Guillhaume Dezoteux, head of vehicle performance, told the media in Qatar that the latest update was mainly to do with increasing reliability. He also explained the difference between the floor updates in Singapore and in Qatar.

"The floor update we brought here [in Qatar] is for reliability. It’s on the forward part of the floor to make an aero surface more consistent and more robust. So it’s a small update. The biggest update came in Singapore, where we brought a complete new floor with the new bodywork." According to Dezoteux, the Singapore floor update worked mainly in the corners. "We do see an improvement, more in the corners than on the straight."

The upcoming floor update will be bolted onto the car for the next race; the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. According to Dezoteux, there is still a lot of performance to be gained from the floor. "We have a new floor coming, again, that’s the main part everybody is developing a lot, there is still a lot of performance to find on those cars on the floor area. So we are manufacturing the floors for Austin, hoping that’s going to be another step in the same direction."

The AlphaTauri AT04 Formula 1 car has yet to score any podium finishes this year. The AlphaTauri team are currently in last place in the F1 championship with five points.