Alpine unveils two liveries for F1 2023 season in London launch

Darshan Chokhani

2 years ago

Alpine is the last F1 team to unveil its 2023 car in a special launch in London with a new driver pairing of an all-French line-up.

With only days remaining for the pre-season testing in Bahrain, Alpine became the final outfit to present its 2023 F1 car in a special launch in London in front of a live audience. The team had its new driver pairing of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.

Team boss Otmar Szafnauer accompanied them along with Laurent Rossi and Luca de Meo. The team retains its corporate blue Alpine colour with the BWT pink used on the sidepod for the whole of the 2023 F1 season.

Like the 2022 F1 season, Alpine will also feature the full pink livery of the BWT in the first three rounds in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. In additional news, the team confirmed Jack Doohan as its reserve driver for the 2023 season.

“It’s always a feeling of immense pride when we officially unveil our car for the upcoming season,” said Rossi. “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.”

Team principal Szafnauer noted: “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.”

Moving to the drivers, ‘now’ senior driver Ocon stated: “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.”

And new teammate Gasly added: “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.”