Prior to the United States Grand Prix last month, AlphaTauri sat bottom of the teams’ standings. It ran seven points adrift of ninth-placed Haas with only five rounds remaining.
But for Austin, the team debuted a substantial update package that included a new floor, revised engine cover bodywork plus suspension and chassis geometry to increase downforce.
Since its introduction, AlphaTauri has scored in all three rounds to leapfrog Haas and Alfa Romeo for eighth. It now sits only seven points behind Williams, which ended development of its car early.
Given the improved performance and consistent scoring, Tsunoda reckons AlphaTauri is now a “dark horse.”
He said of the upturn: “It's a big surprise. I think we're right now a dark horse, especially compared to our other competitors. So, I think it's good.
“So far, we are scoring points three races in a row. So, a very good rhythm.
Source: Autosport