'AlphaTauri must work in partial isolation on their new car'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Where travel between different locations was so common in the past, it has been severely curtailed by the pandemic. Formula 1 teams that have everything at one address have a level playing field with other teams under the measures. For example, the teams that have their everything in the UK, or Italy. AlphaTauri is a special case in that sense, with both a Bicester (UK) and Faenza (Italy) office, which may cause problems.
Travel restrictions
The UK has put in place strict entry restrictions following the discovery of the British coronavirus variant and this is causing problems for AlphaTauri, with each employee having to spend 14 days in quarantine before they can start work. As a result, about 100 employees in Bicester, where the wind tunnel is located, have to work in isolation from the other team, according to the Italian branch of Motorsport.com.
The current restrictions mean that those in the UK cannot go to Faenza and those there cannot go back to the UK. The quarantine requirement would therefore be extremely time consuming and could potentially cause delays in the development of the car for the coming season.
Time is also running out, with a filming day scheduled for 24 February. How the team will overcome these restrictions is unclear, but if it continues for long it is likely that the situation will become difficult for them.
Focus on the front of the car
In the same article, the author also shares information on what the team is focusing on in terms of development. Under the leadership of Jody Eggington, AlphaTauri would have decided to use the tokens for development at the front of the car. This is because there is the most room for growth within the entire spectrum.
The rear of the car could also be upgraded, but it seems the team is now leaving that aside. Mainly because of the budget cap, which means there are financial restrictions. The impression is that the new car will run with a narrower nose, trying to reduce the drag on the suspension.