Today in a launch event in London Alpine unveiled the A523, which will be their contender for the 2023 Formula 1 season.
The livery design of the car follows the same ideas as the other teams on the grid with the car having areas around the side pods where there is no paint, which has been a slightly disappointing part of all the team’s liveries this year.
It also has a pattern of black triangles towards the car’s rear and on the bottom right of the side pod on the BWT sponsorship, which gives the vibe that Thanos has snapped his fingers.
Apart from that it is basically the same livery as last year with the only real difference being the rims which now contain a blue and pink circle on the surface of it.
That wasn’t all though as the full pink Alpine livery has returned, which the team will be running at the first three races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.
The launch event saw appearances from Alpine Team Principle Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Executive of Renault Luca De Meo, Chief Executive Officer for Alpine Laurent Rossi, Alpine Technical Director Matt Harman, and Drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
Laurent Rossi, CEO said “It’s always a feeling of immense pride when we officially unveil our car for the upcoming season. Since Alpine joined the Formula 1 grid in 2021, I’ve been eager to see continued progress and tick off each season and each milestone as they come. Ultimately, we at Alpine are driven by a natural desire to race and that is etched in the company’s heritage and will remain at the heart of our motorsport projects for many years to come. I’d like to congratulate the teams at Enstone and Viry – led by Pat, Matt and Bruno for their exceptional work in designing and delivering the magnificent A523, which we are all very much looking forward to seeing in battle on track. I’m proud to have entrusted Esteban and Pierre to be the face of the Alpine brand as race drivers for 2023. They must lead the team professionally both on and off track and contribute to the team’s success in reaching its goals. Alpine is climbing up and will continue to do so, of that, I am sure.”
Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal said, “This time of the year is often filled with both excitement and anticipation ahead of a new Formula 1 season. It was a fantastic feeling to reach our objectives in 2022 by finishing in a well-deserved fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship; a healthy and significant milestone on our 100-race plan as outlined by Laurent at the beginning of the season. We have just under 80 races left on this mission and I’m proud to lead the team on this journey. For 2023, the aim is simple: at a minimum, we must finish in fourth and in a much more convincing fashion. By that, it means, more finishes, more points and less unforced retirements. I have high expectations from everyone in the team – not least Esteban and Pierre – who will work collaboratively to deliver the best possible results for the team.”
Esteban Ocon said, “I am very excited for the coming season with BWT Alpine F1 Team, my fourth year with the Enstone-Viry family. We showed some great progress in 2022 and everyone in France and the United Kingdom has been working hard on developing the car for 2023. I cannot wait to get the season underway to continue the upwards trajectory from last year, and I am looking forward to testing the car properly in the pre-season test. The livery looks fantastic – it really stands out – and I’m sure it’s going to look amazing on track. I have been working very hard over the winter to prepare for the start of the season, I feel like I’m in really good shape and, right now, I’m certainly ready to go racing again.”
Pierre Gasly said, “It’s fantastic to be officially unveiled as a BWT Alpine F1 Team Race Driver and I’m very much looking forward to this next stage of my career. I am eager to see the potential and capabilities of the A523 at pre-season testing and to continue getting more comfortable with the team. Experiencing the power of the A522 at the end of last season and seeing the developments the team is bringing for this year’s car has made me excited for what is to come with Alpine. It is great to see the dedication that everyone at Enstone and Viry applies to their daily jobs in consistently pushing forwards and I cannot wait to get started in helping the team to reach its objectives for the year.”
Program leader of Alpine’s RAC(H)ER program Claire Mesnier announced that Sophia Florsche will join the program,as part of her FIA Formula 3 campaign.
They have also announced the Alpine High-Performance centre, which will assess all Alpine drivers based on how they drive their car and will train them based on the stats gathered from their driving.
Former Boxer and Olympic Gold Medallist Nicola Adams and Pilot Zara Rutherford have also been announced to be a part of the program, they both will be in a mentor role to the team and drivers.
Then Zinedine Zidane just surprisingly appeared and has been announced as an Alpine ambassador.