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Alpine F1 Team officially heralded its new era today by virtuallylaunching its first ever entry into the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
This year’s competitor, the A521, boasts a striking liveryof blue, white and red which is synonymous to Alpine’s heritage and pedigree inmotorsports. The car will be powered by the Renault E-Tech 20B 1.6L V6 engine power unit, designedand developed in Viry-Châtillon, marking 45 years ofunbroken F1 activity for the French car manufacturer.
The A521 is anevolution of the R.S.20, which competed in the 2020 championship. In line withthe regulatory changes agreed last year in response to the global pandemic, themain structural elements of the A521 are a carry-over from last season.However, we have developed and improved every part that has not beenhomologated, especially the back of the car where additional changes to theAerodynamic regulations were imposed by the FIA.
Luca De Meo, CEO Groupe Renault: “It is a truejoy to see the powerful, vibrant Alpine name on a Formula One car. New colours,new managing team, ambitious plans: it’s a new beginning, building on a 40-yearhistory. We’ll combine Alpine’s values of authenticity, elegance and audacitywith our in-house engineering & chassis expertise. That’s thebeauty of racing as a works team in Formula 1. We will compete against thebiggest names, for spectacular car races made and followed by cheeringenthusiasts. I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Alpine F1 Team’s first challenger will be handed to driversEsteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. Fernando returns to Formula 1 following atwo-year break, re-joining the outfit with which he claimed his two Formula 1 WorldDrivers’ Championships in 2005 and 2006.
Esteban – who enters his second year with the team – willlook to build on a strong 2020 campaign which saw the 24-year-old score hisfirst ever podium in Formula 1 at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. He begins hisfourth full season in the sport since making his debut in August 2016.
The team will be spearheaded by the new leadership trio ofAlpine CEO Laurent Rossi, Executive Director Marcin Budkowski and RacingDirector Davide Brivio. Leading the technical teams at Enstone and Viryrespectively will continue to be Pat Fry, Chassis Technical Director
and Rémi Taffin, EngineTechnical Director.
The first ever Alpine F1 Team car will make its on track debuttomorrow with Esteban Ocon at a filming day at Silverstone Circuit, two weeksahead of official pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Laurent Rossi:“Todaywe are proud to present Alpine F1 Team’s first ever Formula 1 car that willcompete in the 2021 championship. This is an important milestone for Alpine, asit positions itself as the brand at the forefront of Groupe Renault’sinnovation. Alpine naturally finds its place in the high standards, prestigeand performance of Formula 1 and we’re eagerly anticipating the debut of theA521 piloted by our drivers, two-time Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion FernandoAlonso and Esteban Ocon. This year our objective is clear, to continue themomentum that was garnered last year and fight for podiums. Our long-termvision is to see the Alpine name on the top step of the podium in Formula 1. Motorsportsis in our DNA and now is the time for Alpine colours to race and compete in thepinnacle of motor racing in Formula 1.”
Esteban Ocon: “I’m verymuch looking forward to starting the season and having the first taste of theA521 in Bahrain. It’s been a long and busy off-season full of preparation andI, along with the team, feel ready for the year ahead. I love the new Alpinecolours and as a Frenchman, it’s a great pride to carry the French flag on thecar. I feel more prepared than last year and I think that’s just natural as I’mentering this season having had a full year racing in 2020. I want to start theseason at the same level as I finished last year, and I can’t see any reasonswhy that can’t be the case. Working with Fernando is going to be fantastic.He’s a driver I’ve looked up to and a person I’ve taken inspiration from sincea long time. I look forward to collaborating with him and pushing him on trackto ensure the team meets its goals.”
Fernando Alonso: “I’m veryexcited to be back in Formula 1 and to be part of Alpine F1 Team’s next chapterin the sport. I’ve been working hard to prepare myself for racing back inFormula 1 and the target is to attack from the beginning. Driving the car forthe first time is going to be a very exciting experience and I hope bothfactories can saviour the moment. We have a strong team and together withEsteban we must push on from last year and deliver results. We know it’s goingto be a very competitive season, but we’re ready for the challenge. The carlooks great and I have fond memories of racing with blue in Formula 1.”
Guanyu Zhou: “I’m very happy to be the team’sTest Driver for another year as I enter my third year as an Alpine Academydriver. It’s my second year in this role, having been the team’s DevelopmentDriver in 2019. It means I will get the opportunity to contribute to the progressof the team, which is very valuable experience for me as I continue my road toF1. As Test Driver I try to help the team out during the season where possible;whether at the racetrack or in the simulator at Enstone. They’ve given me a lotof trust and I want to repay this faith by helping to improve the developmentof the car throughout the season.”
Kõik sellel veebilehel olevad materjalid (sealhulgas, kuid mitte ainult: tekstid, fotod, graafika, helifailid, animatsioonifailid, videofailid ja nende paigutus veebilehel) on Renault SASi ja/või selle sidusettevõtete või kolmandate isikute omand, kes on volitanud Renault SASi nende piiratud kasutamiseks, ning on kaitstud autoriõiguse ja muude intellektuaalomandi kohta kehtivate õigusnormidega. Eespool nimetatud materjalide kasutamine muudel kui toimetuslikel eesmärkidel, eelkõige turundus- või reklaamieesmärkidel, on rangelt keelatud.
