AlphaTauri F1 pass 2022 season crash tests

Red Bull junior team AlphaTauri has reportedly passed mandated crash tests for the 2022 F1 season. The team announced the news through a social media post on Twitter.

F1 teams must subject their cars through a series of vigorous tests as mandated by the FIA before being approved to hit the track.

AlphaTauri's AT03 has reportedly passed this test and has taken the next step for 2022. Haas F1 announced in December that their VF-22 F1 car had already passed the crash test.

The Red Bull junior team wrote:

“The first step for the ATO3 has been taken. While there is a lot going on at our factory in Faenza, we passed the crash test.”

The 2022 chasis's need to a pass a total of eighteen tests to be deemed appropriate for the race track. These tests are designed to ensure that there are no catastrophic design flaws which might show themselves during race situations.

Five dynamic and 15 static tests were conducted, each measuring different aspects of the chassis. There is a strict set of parameters which govern whether a result is successful or not, making it imperative for teams to perfect their design.

The crash tests were conducted at three FIA-approved test centres: The Transport Research Laboratory in the UK, the CSI Lab in Milan and the Cranfield Impact Center in the UK.

Watch a clip of an FIA chassis crash test below:

AlphaTauri failed to out-perform Alpine in 2021

Despite routinely consistent performances from Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 got the best out of AlphaTauri in the 2021 season. They finished fifth in the constructors' standings due to tremendous performances by Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.

Gasly had his best ever season in the sport, consistently proving his prowess in qualifying sessions. The Frenchman managed to qualify within the top six on 14 occasions.

However, AlphaTauri really took a hit due to the much-hyped rookie Yuki Tsunoda who had an underwhelming debut season in the sport after finishing third in the 2020 F2 season. The young Japanese driver was unable to provide the support that Gasly needed in battling against Alpine, where both drivers, Alonso and Ocon, showed excellent pace all year long.

Alpine had a great year in the sport, placing fifth in the constructors' trophy. Esteban Ocon became the surprise winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix after an excellent drive to the finish, beating the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso also re-established himself as one of the best on the grid, securing his first podium in seven years at the Qatar Grand Prix in November.

With Pierre Gasly hoping for a "Brawn GP-like surprise" in 2022, AlphaTauri can be hopeful for better performances from Tsunoda, who will be treated harshly by critics in his second year of F1.