F1 team introductions: Alpine can be one of the favourites, but must be reliable

There is not much time left before the start of the 73rd Formula 1 season in history. And so it’s time to introduce all ten teams, their ambitions and predict their results. Let’s take a look at the only French team on the grid. Alpine defends its fourth place last year and has a new driver.

Alpine in 2022

It’s very easy to say that Alpine has shown a legitimate belonging among the top five teams on the grid in the past year. But the problem came when looking at the table. Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon may have been fourth, but they fell short of third-placed Mercedes by an abysmal 342 points. On the other hand, McLaren, fifth overall, was only fourteen points behind the fourth-placed tandem.

The team’s best result came in Japan, where the drivers finished fourth and seventh. In addition, Alonso lost out to sixth-placed Sebastian Vettel by just eleven thousandths of a second at the finish. Neither of the Alpines then scored at Imola (Ocon 14th, Alonso DNF), Monza (Ocon 11th, Alonso DNF) and Singapore (both DNF).

On the other hand, eleven times both monoblocs scored at least a point for themselves. If we add the variable of the new rules to the equation, we find excellent promise for the seasons to come. The next one will start on the first weekend of March.

A purely French pairing

For the first time since 1982, Alpine (formerly Renault) will have only French drivers. The team was abandoned before the season by double world champion Alonso, who did not accept the offer of a one-year contract. His place has been taken by Pierre Gasly, who will form a complete French duo with Esteban Ocon.

The two drivers have had disputes in the past, but these have reportedly been resolved and the last French Formula One champions can now concentrate on racing. Their collaboration will play a key role in the team’s eventual success.

Both Ocon and Gasly beat their teammates last year, but that was their third season on their respective teams. Gasly will face a process of getting used to his new car after the transfer, as well as pressure from the media and fans to perform well.

Two types of colouring in the season

Already last year, spectators were able to enjoy two Alpine monopost colours on track. In the opening grand prix, the French team will wear pink again this year. In Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, Gasly and Ocon will no doubt stand out. The question is whether it’s just because of the cars or because of the results.

For the rest of the season we can look forward to a “classic” Alpine with blue as the dominant colour. In this case, let’s hope the Alpine colours remain visible on the grid. Back in the days of Renault, it was hard to miss the yellow monoposto, or the yellow and blue one in which Alonso won both championships.

Reliability is the key to success

Already in 2022, the Alpine monoposto was performing very well in terms of speed. However, it was plagued by technical problems in several races, which caused both Ocon and Alonso to fail to finish. It was the Spanish driver who lost a lot of points in the season and finished behind his teammate.

And, as at Ferrari, reliability was a big part of the preparation for the new year. If the technical issues can be resolved for the French stable’s duo, we can look forward to some interesting results.

Simply put, they need to avoid last year’s eight retirements from the often well-paced grand prix. In the event of improved performance, the first podium since Fernando Alonso’s 2021 Qatar VC could quite easily come.

Monoposto

The French team was the last to unveil its racing machinery this year. Its goal is clear, and that is third place among the constructors, which is what the technical director of the stable, Matt Harman, spoke about to the Racingnews365 website.

Compared to last season, we find a few changes on the monopost. The main difference is that the weight has been reduced to the 798 kilograms required by the rules. The differences can be found right at the front wing, parts of which are now made up of much more massive plates.

In general, we can observe on the A523 monopost wider practically all the main parts. The sidewalls are reminiscent of last year’s Ferrari and its successful “tubs” in the first half of the season. The centre of the formula itself, however, remains relatively unchanged.

Where the Alpine will be at the end of the season is something we can start to analyse around mid-season. At that point, it will be possible to divide the teams into performance categories and watch them battle it out with their peers.

F1, Racing News 365