F1 News: Yuki Tsunoda And Daniel Ricciardo Tackle Icy Imola In Pre-Season F1

Imagine a Formula 1 car in icy conditions.

Formula 1 team Visa Cash App RB, formerly known as AlphaTauri, headed to Imola with drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo to prepare for the 2024 Formula 1 season that begins in a few weeks. However, the popular Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit was in an icy state, prompting the team to run the car on wet tires. 

Key Takeaways:

• Visa Cash App RB, formerly AlphaTauri, conducted testing at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola to prepare for the upcoming 2024 Formula 1 season.
• Despite icy track conditions, the team ran their 2022 AT03 F1 car on wet tires over three days, with drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo taking turns behind the wheel.
• Starting in 2024, the team will receive upgraded components from Red Bull, including rear and front suspensions, aiming to enhance their performance compared to competitors, though the impact remains uncertain given the efforts of rival teams in developing their 2024 cars.

Red Bull Press Image

Formula 1 regulations permit teams to conduct private tests in cars that are at least two years old. Consequently, Red Bull's junior team put their drivers in the 2022 season's AT03 F1 car- the outfit's first car of the ground effect era. 

Overall, the team spent three days on the high-speed icy track. To tackle the challenges, the Visa Cash App RB team had to wait a few hours before the conditions became 'driveable' on Wednesday. 

Tsunoda was then sent in the AT03 with wet tires to assess the gravity of the situation before putting in a few laps and handing the car over to teammate Ricciardo. The track action continued for the next two days on Thursday and Friday. 

Cold but don’t care 🙃 so good being back in an F1 car
今年初のF1,めっちゃ寒かったけどやっぱり速くて楽しい！ pic.twitter.com/FYQikMdWEi

— 角田裕毅/Yuki Tsunoda (@yukitsunoda07) January 25, 2024

Beginning in 2024, Visa Cash App RB will receive additional components from Red Bull, including both, the rear and front suspensions. Similar to the improvements experienced in 2023, these upgrades are expected to provide the team with a significant performance boost compared to their competitors.

However, it remains to be seen if the borrowed parts would offer an additional boost, considering how hard rival teams like McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari have been working on their 2024 title contenders. 

Jonnie Designs

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