(Motorsport) Formula 1 team Alpine have unveiled their new 2023 challenger A523 and the car will feature a predominantly blue and pink livery for the majority of the upcoming season, but will also run its pink model for the first three races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. Alpine were the final team to unveil their 2023 car and with pre-season testing set to begin next Thursday in Bahrain, the team will hope to improve on their impressive fourth place finish from last season, surpassing the likes of McLaren and Aston Martin on the grid.
Alpine will feature an all French lineup for the 2023 season with Pierre Gasly partnering with Esteban Ocon after Fernando Alonso’s departure to Aston Martin. Renault CEO Luca de Meo said “We are here for the long term. I hope that we get closer to the top.” Team boss Otmar Szafnauer added: “The gap to third was big and we’ve got to close that gap. We need less DNFs, more points, hopefully some podiums and a lot closer to third than we were in 2022. We will soon get to where we want to be, and that’s to fight for world championships.”
The 2023 season will be a challenging one for Alpine, especially considering that Aston Martin will join the fight for fourth place while last season’s third place Mercedes will hope to improve after a disappointing season. Like most teams, Alpine have said that the A523 is an evolution of last season’s car and will be upgraded as the 2023 season progresses. They will also hope that their Renault engines will prove to be more reliable than last season and will compete against rival power units. Pre-season testing is set to begin on February 23-25 in Bahrain before the start of the season in the same country.
Speaking at the launch, Pierre Gasly said “It’s fantastic to be officially unveiled as an Alpine 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. “There is massive potential.”
Also read: Formula 1: Mercedes reveal all-black challenger W14 for the 2023 season
