Alpine has just introduced the long-awaited A523, their competitor for the 2023 Formula 1 season and the last on this year’s grid to be revealed. Dressed up in the team’s newly-signature blue and pink, the car looks like a natural progression of the concepts put in place by last year’s A522.
Piloting the Alpine will be Esteban Ocon, who’s been with the team since 2020 (back when it was still Renault), and Pierre Gasly, who finally left AphaTauri and the Red Bull bubble after Fernando Alonso made the move to Aston Martin.
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The A523’s livery is still blue and pink this year, but as has been par for the course with cars this season, it strips back some of the paint for weight reduction purposes, meaning more black accents. That being said, it still looks good, and we’re a fan of the blue and pink accents that have been added to the wheel covers and front winglets. Additionally, like last year, Alpine will run an alternate version of the livery at a handful of races that’s predominantly pink instead of blue.
Moving to the car’s actual design, the most noticeable change from last year’s A522 appears to be with the engine cover, namely the pronounced exhaust housing. Elsewhere, the car has adopted a new nose, new air intakes, revised sidepods, and a tweaked rear wing among other things. Additionally, it sports a new airbox design that’s largely devoid of a central sharkfin.
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Regarding Alpine‘s goals for the upcoming season, Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer said: “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.”
Now that all ten cars competing in the 2023 season have been revealed, we get to see them put to the test at pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 23-25. After that, they’ll see their first race in the same location on March 5, with free practice and qualifying taking place on March 3 and 4 respectively.