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Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT01
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Analysis

Why Italy's minnow F1 team could become its new maestro

From its origins as perennial backmarkers to genuine midfield contenders, Italy's other Formula 1 team is on course to surpass the might and majesty Ferrari has held as its nation's standard-bearer in 2020

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For the entirety of the time that they were simultaneously racing in Formula 1, the Ferrari and Minardi teams were almost diametrically opposed. One, a scarlet powerhouse that threw its significant weight around at the front, and the other, a perennial minnow fighting for survival on scraps and, often, a rotating cast of pay-drivers.
Having started the 2020 season with a particularly poor hand, Ferrari has been resigned to mixing among the midfield, with a few token appearances towards the front courtesy of Charles Leclerc. In the constructors' points standings, the team currently sits in sixth - set to be its lowest placing in the title stakes since 1980. However, sixth overall is still heavily contested - particularly, with AlphaTauri: the team that used to race as Minardi during Ferrari's glory years.

Going from the end of its Toro Rosso years to its new AlphaTauri guise, the Faenza team has cemented itself as a firm midfield contender. The early years were tricky - at least, until it had Sebastian Vettel on board, and even after that the team was frequently the bridge between the clutch of the 2010-founded 'new teams' and the established outfits on the grid. But astute technical acquisitions, the lustre of its subsequent flock of drivers and, in recent years, its closer ties to Red Bull and Honda have given AlphaTauri a great basis to work from.

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