Alpine with Formula 1 updates in Baku and Miami. The team from the French manufacturer will begin an intensive development programme at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which will continue throughout the season in order to be able to compete with its rivals. The team will also change its livery colours for the remainder of the F1 season.

The Alpine team is set to introduce its first ‘major’ update to its single-seater at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, the fourth round of the 2023 F1 season, which takes place in Baku from 28-30 April.

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Team boss explains changes coming

After a complicated start to the season, the French manufacturer’s team is not letting up and is working hard to introduce a major update to the A523 in Baku, which should allow it to go head-to-head with McLaren or Mercedes, who will also have updates, according to the Alpine director.

“We think we can compete with them [Mercedes and McLaren]. We will also have a major update coming up for Baku and then a few more things a week later in Miami,” said Szafnauer.

“So we are still pushing to introduce updates. But the important thing is that they all work when we put them on the car and that we have a good correlation with our simulation tools.”

“We had a good correlation last year, and if that continues, if we continue to bring updates, we will be in that development battle with the others around us.”

“We’re going to develop at the highest pace possible for our team. If I look back, our development pace was good last year, and I think we can continue that this year.”

“I think as the year goes on we should be getting closer [to Mercedes]. But we all know it’s all relative, because I know what we have coming up, but I don’t know what they have coming up.”

Time off means extra preparation time

Prior to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the teams are entitled to a three-week spring break for the first time due to the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive year. The extra time allows the teams to manufacture various spare parts in preparation for the Sprint race weekend in Baku at the end of April.

“This break was not planned, but it is welcome both to make a lot of parts for the car, spare parts, as well as the developments we will be making,” added Szafnauer.

“You know, it takes a huge effort to make enough parts, so this [the break] really helps us. The break also allows us to plan other upgrades that we can find through the simulation tools, and knowing that there is this break, you plan them differently.”

Alpine to get rid of pink F1 livery

The Alpine A523 of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon will return to its blue livery at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the fourth round of the 2023 F1 World Championship.

Like last year, Alpine has unveiled two liveries for its single-seater this winter; a pink one to mark its partnership with its main sponsor BWT and a blue one with pink accents. Under the terms of the contract with BWT, the pink livery was only to be used for the first three rounds of the year, namely Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

From the Azerbaijan Grand Prix onwards, the Alpine A523 will be back in its blue livery and it is this livery that will be used by the team for the rest of the 2023 season.

Pink means poor luck

So far, the pink livery of the A523 has not brought much luck to Alpine, which before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was in sixth place in the constructors’ world championship with only eight points scored in three races.

The last Grand Prix in Australia ended in a double retirement for Alpine, which saw its two drivers collide in the final laps of the race. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly did not score any points in Melbourne, although both Frenchmen were in the top ten before their crash.

For the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Alpine will return to its true colours, while a “significant” update will be introduced to the A523, team headmaster Otmar Szafnauer has already confirmed.

“We will continue to move forward and these difficult times will only make the team even more united. We are already looking forward to Baku, where an important development is planned,” said the American after the Australian GP.