In the evocative setting of the Printworks in London, Alpine unveiled its single-seater for the 2023 Formula 1 season, the A523. The new car, which has already made its track debut at Silverstone in a shakedown earlier this week, has many points in common with its predecessor, demonstrating how the engineers did not want to betray their construction philosophy.
Despite the numerous reliability problems, on a competitive level the 2022 car had nevertheless shown that it possessed good performance capabilities, conquering fourth place in the constructors’ championship ahead of McLaren. A result also the result of numerous weekends in which the Enstone team was able to establish itself as the best team in the midfield, collecting important points which then made the difference at the end of the championship.
On the A523 project, changes have been made to the entire suspension group on a mechanical level, while on the aerodynamic one, intense work has been done on the flow structures at the front end, such as the front wing, which in the center of the car, in particular the area of the sides . The basic concept of the bellies remains unchanged compared to last season, but changes have been made which should improve the management of the flows towards the rear.
The heat expulsion system via the gills has been adapted and repositioned, while at the rear we have worked on increasing the efficiency of the beam wing and the rear wing. To improve reliability, the water pump was redesigned, which had created so many problems in 2022 forcing the riders to retire several times.
On the sidelines of the official presentation, Bruno Famin, Executive Director for the Power Unit sector, and Matt Harman, Technical Director, illustrated the main innovations of the A523.
How has the A523 evolved from last year’s car?
Matt Harman: “The A523 is definitely an evolution in many ways from its predecessor, the A522. We’ve made changes to the front and rear suspension and unlocked performance from the front wing and from the front flow structures that allowed us to increase the performance of the diffuser, thus introducing a slightly different concept of the rear suspension.We adapted the size and positioning of the heat rejection system to complete the improved body project based on last year’s great performance. At the rear of the car, we are improving the efficiency of the rear wing and, in particular, the beam wing which offers a large margin for efficiency gains.”
When did the A523 project start?
Matt Harman: “We started this quite a long time ago, in November 2021, so even before the birth of the A522 last year. We accumulated an incredible amount of data during the design and validation phases which allowed us to improve the performance of various subsystems. The goal is to give us a complete picture and then identify concepts and areas for improvement. As I said, the A523 is a significant evolution over the A522, as a result of what we learned and understood in the last year and a half during the great transformation of the regulations”.
The new Alpine A523.
Photo by: Alpine
The team excelled in last year’s development race. What plans do you have for the 2023 season?
Matt Harman: “We have been very satisfied with our development program in 2022 and have created a clear and well-structured plan to introduce improvements on a regular basis, as well as more substantial and efficient updates at certain times of the year. In 2023, we want to be even more aggressive, continue on the same line. We have already foreseen a clear plan and put several things in the pipeline, both from an aerodynamic and a mechanical point of view. We are excited about what we have planned in terms of development.”
What are the goals achieved so far by the A523?
Matt Harman: “The A523 was fully homologated before Christmas, a fantastic step forward for the team. We have invested heavily in the validation programme. In the third week of the year, we used the Viry test rig to validate the powertrain considering the whole of the car. We have been very pleased with the results we have achieved and the kilometers we have been able to put on. This particular project, carried out together with Viry, has turned out beautifully. This means that we are about to start the season with more confidence in some aspects of our package”.
How did the Enstone-Viry collaboration go for the preparations for the season?
Matt Harman: “I would say that the partnership between Enstone and Viry is as close as ever, especially at this time of year in preparation for the season. We have identified the root causes together and it is no secret that in 2022 we have faced difficult moments to realize our powertrain at its best: the transmission in association with the powertrain We are very happy with our cooperation and are working positively following a clear direction, which bodes well for the future, especially in view of the 2026 program. powertrain, although it is homologated, we have placed emphasis on integration into the car, reliability and performance of the car application where, this season, we will see some improvements.”
The Alpine A523 with the livery characterized by the colors of the sponsor BWT, which will be used in the first 3 rounds of the season.
Photo by: Alpine
This is your second season as Executive Director. What are your main thoughts on 2022?
Bruno Famin: “Clearly, finishing fourth in the Constructors’ Championship can be considered a successful season. A great satisfaction for the team, especially in a period in which Formula 1 is undergoing so many revolutionary changes, both in terms of chassis and We were aggressive in the design of the engine in anticipation of the development freeze and this, throughout the year, has given us good moments alternating with bitter pills. It has been a privilege to see the hard work of the teams at Enstone up close and Viry They’ve done a great job working together to integrate a smooth and efficient powertrain into the chassis and generally push the package to the max all year round.
What changes and improvements have been made to Viry in the past year?
Bruno Famin: “I would say 2022 was a year of transition for Viry, as I joined the team before the start of the 2022 season. We now have just over 300 people working in-house for Formula 1 and we have grown geographically with the addition of some new facilities. We continue to push ahead with the test bench modernization plan and are building two new dynamometers for electric motors. The organization has evolved and the work we do with the Enstone teams is always more efficient. All these investments and improvements allow us to be more effective and, above all, to make progress in the development of the powertrain and in the preparation of the car in anticipation of 2026”.
Read also:
What can you tell us about the Renault e-Tech RE23 powertrain?
Bruno Famin: “We are working closely with the Enstone teams to improve the packaging and integration of our powertrain. We had proof of the good teamwork we are doing in January, when we got together to use the new test facility at Viry to validate the powertrain, which proved to be a success and a major milestone achieved for the creation of the A523-RE23 package.We have a newly designed water pump to address the reliability issues found on this component in 2022. It is new, designed in another location and we are confident that the problem is now solved.We had a lot to do in Viry with the endurance tests on the dynos and we are eager to see the results on track for see if all this hard work has paid off.”
