The BWT Alpine F1 Team has presented the A523 single-seater in London
“I am very happy to be here today. I am very happy to be part of this team,” said the Frenchman.
The BWT Alpine F1 Team has presented the A523 single-seater in London with which French drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly will compete next season in Formula One, in addition to announcing that former footballer and coach Zinedine Zidane will be brand ambassador.
“We got great results last year, we were consistently in the top-10. It’s been a good winter. We want to progress, go faster, catch up with the top three teams. We’re very proud of the work we’ve done. It has been sensational to be driving again, all the hours of work with the team to develop this car,” explained Ocon, who is still behind the wheel.
For his part, Gasly, who occupies the seat left empty by the Spanish Fernando Alonso after his departure to Aston Martin, indicated: “I am very excited, it is a very beautiful car. It is a new journey and I am very excited. It will be very special We will write a great story together, hopefully it will be satisfying.”
“Alpine had a great season last year, they showed great evolution throughout the year. The goal is to consolidate as fourth and close the gap to third. We have tried to develop the car as much as we could. I am very excited, it is a great project and I believe in it. From what I have seen there is great potential. We have the human resources and it’s about putting them to workI’m sure the results will come,” he added.
The event was opened by the intervention of Luca de Meo CEO Renault Group: “Two years ago the company was in a very bad situation. We had to find a solution and it was to put the Formula 1 team at the center of a great project. The message is that motorsports and Formula 1 are an important part of a great story.”
“I think we made progress the first two seasons. I see that the team has come back stronger and that progress will continue. Our ambition is to be closer to the top. We are here for the long term, to create a top and solid team. I am I’m optimistic about continuing on the road. I hope we can be close to those at the top. We have room to grow, it’s our ambition. We hope that Esteban and Pierre can get a couple of podiums,” he said.
For his part, Laurent Rossi, CEO of Alpine Cars, is confident of reducing the gap with the third team after finishing fourth last year: “Two years ago, when we started with the history of Alpine, we knew that we were beginning a climb towards the top and that it was going to take time to get there. We gave ourselves five years. We were fifth in 2021, fourth in 2022. The distance to third is very long and we want to reduce it.”
“At the heart of the project the idea was to give exposure to lift the brand and after two years our sales and brand value have more than doubled in just two years. It’s tremendous, a success. The calendar offers the opportunity to access some markets. This year there are three races in the United States and that will allow us to see the potential of the brand in a market that has shown a lot of interest in Alpine in recent years,” he said.
In addition, Omar Szafnauer, team manager, also took the podium: “The distance with the third was great and we have to reduce it. To achieve this we must develop more if possible than the rest of the Formula 1 teams, which is not easy.
“We reached the goal we were looking for last year, but unfortunately it had to be in the last race. We are not yet where we want, but we will get there. This year we want fewer disqualifications, more points, hopefully some podium finishes and getting closer to third as we move away from fifth. We’ve got a couple of riders who can get it done.“, he claimed.
As for the single-seaters, two models could be seen, one in pink with which the first tests of the season will be run and another with a greater presence of blue that will take over. The details of the design were reported by Matt Harman, technical director, who explained that there have been modifications in almost all parts, including the “Power Unit”: “We had problems there last year. We have worked to know that we will have reliability. Now we have much trust”.
ANDhe final coup d’état was the announcement of Zinedine Zidane, former French international and former Real Madrid player and manager, as Alpine’s ambassador. He expressed his happiness for joining the project: “I am very happy to be here today. I am very happy to be part of this team.”