BWT Alpine F1 Team unveiled its 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship contender today – the A523 – in front of a start-studded live audience at London’s Printworks as the team gets set to compete in Formula 1’s 23-race global campaign.
Buoyed by its clear trajectory in the Championship having finished fifth in 2021 and fourth in 2022, Alpine enters 2023 with bold targets as it continues its climb towards the front of the grid within the 100-race plan.
The A523 is a significant evolution from its predecessor, the A522, which has seen radical development over the winter months, led hand in hand by the design and technical teams at its bases in Enstone, United Kingdom and Viry-Châtillon, France.
The car livery is yet again a striking design, combining the iconic colours of Alpine blue with the dashing pink of the team’s title partner BWT. On the night, the team also confirmed its reversed, full pink livery for the opening three Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia.
Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo and Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi attended the event to unveil the car to the world as well as reaffirming the ambitions and strategy behind Alpine’s presence in Formula 1 in line with Renault Group’s Renaulution framework.
The team officially unveiled its new 2023 driver line-up in team colours for the first time with Esteban Ocon – in his fourth year at the team – joined by compatriot Pierre Gasly who was announced as an BWT Alpine F1 Team driver last October. The pairing is an emotional and compelling story, given the duo grew up in Normandy and first met as aspiring race drivers at nine years of age. Since then, both Esteban and Pierre have risen through the racing ranks to Formula 1 – each picking up a landmark Grand Prix victory – and now together to lead the only French team on the Formula 1 grid.
Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer begins his second year at the helm having helped guide the team to its impressive fourth place in the 2022 Constructors’ Championship. Otmar was joined by Technical Director Matt Harman who outlined the team’s design philosophy in enhancing the A523, as well as explaining how both sites across Enstone – for chassis – and Viry – for the power unit – have worked hand in hand to improve the team’s overall package.
Jack Doohan becomes the team’s official Reserve Driver for 2023 alongside his duties in racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Esteban and Pierre have enjoyed a busy pre-season preparing for the demands of the 23-race calendar and drove the A523 for the first time on Monday in the team’s official filming day at Silverstone.
Both drivers will again share duties at the upcoming Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain before the first race of the season in Sakhir takes place on March 5.
Laurent Rossi, CEO, Alpine: “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: “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, BWT Alpine F1 Team Driver: “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, BWT Alpine F1 Team Driver: “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.”