Formula 1 | New Alpha Tauri AT01, Tanabe: “We can't wait to get started”

Interviewed by the official website of Scuderia Alpha Tauri, Toyoharu Tanabe commented on the first official release of the AT01, the car with which Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly will face the next Formula 1 world championship, underlining the enormous work carried out by Honda on the power unit that will launch on track starting from the pre-season tests in Barcelona.

Another season is around the corner: how do you evaluate the relationship between Honda and the team?
TT: “2020 is our third consecutive season with this team and we can't wait to get started. Ever since we started working together in the winter of 2017, it was immediately clear to all of us at Honda that we were dealing with a team that wanted to share everything, even understand Japanese working culture. It is a true partnership and we have been reaping the first results since the 2018 season. Last year, in its final season as Toro Rosso, the team recorded its best result since 2008, with third and second places achieved in Germany and Brazil respectively."

What factors led to this progression?
TT: “These results came thanks to improvements on the chassis, aerodynamics and PU. But much is also due to the excellent working relationship: every problem was an opportunity to learn something and every success was shared between all of us. Last year, providing two teams – part of the same family, linked by Red Bull Technology – allowed us to accelerate our development and this will continue to be the case this year. To get even more power out of our PU, everyone has been hard at work at our facilities in Sakura, Japan and Milton Keynes, UK. But, clearly, power is nothing without reliability and this year promises to be even more challenging, as the calendar will be the longest ever in F1, with 22 races."

Can we do even better this year?
TT: “The technical rules relating to PU have not changed much compared to last year. Therefore, we were able to make progress based on the experience gained with all four cars during 2019. I believe we can take a step forward and our aim is to achieve even better results than last year. In any sport, one's performance can only be judged in comparison to that of one's competitors. So, until you start running, it will be impossible to predict how well you can do. I'm sure the new name, Scuderia AlphaTauri, will arouse a lot of interest. And I know that everyone will share the same fighting spirit that we have had in these first two years together."