Formula 1

The new Alpine A523 F1 2023

Published

1 month ago

16/02/2023

Introducing the latest addition to the F1 2023 grid – the Alpine A523! Be the first to witness the sleek design of the A523 that was unveiled in London, signifying Alpine as the final team to launch its car for the upcoming season.

Although there were leaked photos of the car online following its shakedown, the event in London provided the first official unveiling of the car by Alpine, the works Renault team.

The A523, unveiled by Alpine at the event in London, bears a striking resemblance to the team’s 2022 car, but features a revamped front wing design and a nose cone with a flatter upper section.

In addition, the A523 showcases a more rounded rear bodywork around its engine cover, which is made more distinctive by the use of black paint in that area.

Alpine’s objective of reducing weight was reflected in the design of the A523, particularly in the cooling system, which was revamped to achieve this goal. The car’s updated rear bodywork, as mentioned earlier, is a notable feature that aligns with this objective.

Alpine revealed two different versions of the car’s livery at the launch event, one of which predominantly featured the colors of title sponsor BWT, with pink being the predominant hue. This livery is set to be used during the first three grands prix.

Following its launch, the A523 took to the track on Monday for its first run at Silverstone. Alpine reported that the shakedown went smoothly and was free of any issues.

During its 100km shakedown run at the British Grand Prix venue, the driving duties for the A523 were split between Esteban Ocon and the team’s latest acquisition, Pierre Gasly.

Alpine secured fourth place in the F1 constructors’ championship in the previous season and has set its sights on defending that position in the upcoming season, which is anticipated to have a highly competitive midfield. At the same time, the team aims to narrow the gap to F1’s top three teams – Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

Alpine has put in place a 100-race plan to secure a grand prix victory, which was launched in 2022. The plan involves a long-term strategy aimed at improving the team’s competitiveness and achieving success on the race track.

In pursuit of matching the largest teams in F1, Alpine aims to increase its headcount to over 900 by recruiting 75 more staff members, as mentioned by team principal Otmar Szafnauer in the summer of last year. This expansion in personnel is part of the team’s ongoing effort to enhance its competitiveness and achieve greater success in the sport.

Alpine’s most recent successful defense of fourth place in the F1 constructors’ championship was in 2018, after which it experienced three consecutive fifth-place finishes in the championship. In the 2020 season, the team finished ahead of Ferrari but behind McLaren and Racing Point (now Aston Martin), despite its efforts to secure fourth place.

While Alpine was the last team to hold a launch event for the 2023 Formula 1 season, it is not the final team to have revealed its 2023 car publicly. Other teams may still release official images of their cars or provide glimpses of them during testing.

Red Bull’s season launch was unique, as it coincided with an announcement of an F1 engine partnership with Ford from 2026. During the event, the team unveiled an RB19, which bore a striking resemblance to the RB18. However, team principal Christian Horner later clarified that the RB19 shown at the launch was not a true reflection of the car that would hit the track in a few weeks’ time.

Red Bull has conducted a shakedown of its 2023 car at Silverstone since the launch event, but the team has not yet released any official images of the car. The only material available to the public is a brief and distant video clip of the RB19 from the shakedown run.

Alpine A523 F1 2023 Photos

The unveiling of the all-new Alpine A523 has completed the 2023 F1 grid and was showcased at a dazzling event in London, with almost 30,000 viewers tuning in via livestream.

The reveal came just a week before the start of pre-season testing, following the car’s debut on the track during a shakedown and filming session at Silverstone, with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly at the wheel. Now that the car has been revealed, the team will head to Bahrain for three days of pre-season testing, and will remain there for the opening round of the season, which is scheduled for March 2-5.