AlphaTauri’s AT04 makes track debut at Misano

AlphaTauri have headed to Misano to conduct their first filming day shakedown of the season, debuting their AT04.

Following on from their reveal of their 2023 AT04 last week in New York, AlphaTauri have returned home to Italy and to the Misano circuit to shake down the new machine.

The team headed along to Misano, a circuit well known for hosting MotoGP races, to host their shakedown, carrying on a tradition they’ve established in recent years before kicking off official pre-season testing.

Yuki Tsunoda was given the honours of the first laps behind the wheel of the AT04, peeling out on track after taking to social media to reveal his new helmet design for 2023.

Nyck de Vries, who joins the team for his rookie season, recently carried out a test of AlphaTauri’s 2021 AT02 at Imola as he gears up for his first full-time F1 drive, and will also get to drive the AT04 during the afternoon.

PlanetF1.com recommends

Pictures: The Ferrari SF-23, ‘a single-seater that will be unprecedented in terms of speed’
Check out all the angles of the new AlphaTauri AT04 livery
Carlos Sainz shares unusual Charles Leclerc nickname in hilarious radio exchange

The shakedown is being carried out under Formula 1’s provisions for ‘filming days’ – each team is permitted two such days for marketing events per season, with most choosing to use the first of these as a means of carrying out initial systems checks on their new cars alongside gathering their marketing material.

Up the road to the north-west from Misano, in Fiorano, Ferrari also cashed in the first of their two filming days on Tuesday. Launching the new SF-23 in front of a jubilant gathering of tifosi, Charles Leclerc took to the iconic test track at the wheel of the 2023 F1 car to carry out some initial laps.

the AT04 hits the track for the first time with @yukitsunoda07 behind the wheel! 🤙 pic.twitter.com/mjdIOayCG5

— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) February 14, 2023