BIOGRAPHY
Alpine was founded in 1955 by Jean Redele, a young man passionate about competition. He named his company after his favourite playground for racing: The Alps.
Motorsport is in Alpine's DNA. From the creation of the brand in 1955 to the present day, models with the arrowed A have always been entered in automobile competitions. Whether by the brand itself or through private commitments, Alpine has shone on rally stages or on circuits all over the world.
As soon as Alpine's relaunch in 2012 was announced, a competition programme was decided to develop the brand's awareness. This commitment was underlined in endurance racing, through a partnership with the Signature team, which has enjoyed numerous successes on international circuits.
The team, named Signatech Alpine, won the European Endurance Championship (ELMS) in its first season in 2013, and repeated the triumph the following year. Alpine's intention has always been to take up challenges at the highest level. The team then met the challenge of the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in the LMP2 category. The results were not long in coming, after a victory and a podium finish in the 2015 season, Signatech Alpine won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the LMP2 world title in 2016, a feat that the team repeated in the 2018-2019 'Superseason' by winning both editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the LMP2 world title.
In September 2020, Luca De Meo, announced the creation of Alpine F1 Team, a renaissance of Groupe Renault's F1 team, one of F1's most historic and successful teams.
Already recognised for its records and successes in endurance and rallying, the Alpine name naturally finds its place in the high standards, prestige and performance of Formula 1. The Alpine brand, a symbol of sporting prowess, elegance and agility, will be designated to the chassis and pay tribute to the expertise that gave birth to the A110.
It is part of Groupe Renault's strategy to clearly position each of its brands. For Alpine, this is a key step to accelerate the development and influence of the brand. Renault remains an integral part of the team, with the hybrid power unit retaining its Renault E-Tech moniker and unique expertise in hybrid powertrains.
"It is a true joy to see the powerful, vibrant Alpine name on a Formula One car," said Luca De Meo at the launch of the A521. "It is a true joy 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-year history. We'll combine Alpine's values of authenticity, elegance and audacity with our in-house engineering & chassis expertise. That's the beauty of racing as a works team in Formula 1. We will compete against the biggest names, for spectacular car races made and followed by cheering enthusiasts. I can't wait for the season to start.
"New colours, new managing team, ambitious plans: it's a new beginning, building on a 40-year history. We'll combine Alpine's values of authenticity, elegance and audacity with our in-house engineering & chassis expertise. That's the beauty of racing as a works team in Formula 1. We will compete against the biggest names, for spectacular car races made and followed by cheering enthusiasts. I can't wait for the season to start."
"The new Alpine entity takes three brands with separate assets and areas of excellence to turn them into an empowered, fully-fledged business," added Laurent Rossi, Alpine's CEO. "The craftsmanship from our plant in Dieppe, the engineering mastery from our Formula One and Renault Sport teams will shine through our tech-infused, 100% electric line-up, taking the beautiful Alpine name to the future. We'll be on the tracks and on the roads, authentic and high-tech, disruptive and passionate."
"Formula 1 will be at the centre of the business unit. Alpine's reputation has stemmed from racing and placing the pinnacle of motorsport at the heart of the company is certainly exciting. Formula 1 provides a fascinating marketing platform with half a billion fans worldwide. That brings the unique opportunity for the best possible global branding to create value around Alpine. In addition, Formula 1 is built on ingenuity and cutting-edge features, with every detail absolutely paramount to success. This Formula 1 know-how will play a seminal role in transitioning expertise from the track into our road cars.
"More immediately, as a team, we enter an exciting chapter in the sport with the 2022 regulation changes on the horizon. This marks a new era for Formula 1 and an opportunity to climb the summit. This year is a transitional year - as it is for all teams - and we look forward to racing and putting Alpine on the global stage."
Renault first entered the world championship in 1977 with Jean-Pierre Jabouille and the famed R.S.01, which featured the first ever turbocharged engine in Formula 1.
Although initially going without success, the team secured its first points in the 1978 United States Grand Prix with Jabouille's fourth place. Regular success soon followed, and the team claimed its first victory in the 1979 French Grand Prix, again, with pioneer Jabouille, who was joined on the podium by Rene Arnoux after his legendary on-track battle with Gilles Villeneuve.
Over the next five years, more wins followed, with Alain Prost signing with the team from 1981 to 1983, a period in which the team won 11 races, including nine for Prost. The team continued until 1985. For the latter part of the 1980s and 1990s, Renault focused its F1 efforts solely on engine supply with extended success mainly with Williams.
The works Renault team did not return to Formula 1 until 2002 - housing its entry at Enstone for the first time. By 2003 it was fighting for Grand Prix wins and podiums and in 2005 and 2006 claimed back-to-back world championship titles with Fernando Alonso for the first time in its history.
The team continued until 2011 with a handful of wins, the last of which occurring in the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix with Alonso.
Renault returned to Formula 1 in 2016 with the aim of climbing its way back to the front of the grid. In 2020, the team secured its first podium since the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix, courtesy of Daniel Ricciardo's fine effort in the Eifel Grand Prix before he repeated that feat in Imola weeks later with Esteban Ocon claiming second in Sakhir at the penultimate Grand Prix of the season.
Now, the team takes on a new guise in Alpine, ready to write the next chapter in its F1 history with two-time world champion Alonso partnering Frenchman Ocon at the wheel of the A521.
MANAGEMENT
Laurent Rossi: CEO Alpine
Team Principal: Otmar Szafnauer
Alain Prost: Special Advisor
Executive Director: Marcin Budkowski
Racing Director: Davide Brivio
Chassis Technical Director: Pat Fry
Engine Technical Director: Remi Taffin
Sporting Director: Alan Permane
Chief Race Engineer: Ciaron Pilbeam
Trackside Operations Manager: Nico Cuturello
Head of Race Strategy: Matthieu Dubois
Race Engineer (Fernando Alonso): Karel Loos
Race Engineer (Esteban Ocon): Josh Peckett
Chief Mechanic: Rob Cherry
Operations Director: Rob White
Engineering Director: Matthew Harman
Head of Aerodynamics: Dirk de Beer
Head of Performance Systems: Pierre Genon
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
A523 Technical Specifications
Chassis: Moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, manufactured by BWT Alpine F1 Team and designed for maximum strength with minimum weight. Renault E-Tech 2023 power unit installed as a fully stressed member.
Front Suspension: Carbon fibre top and bottom wishbones operate an inboard rocker via a pushrod system. This is connected to torsion bar and damper units which are mounted inside the front of the monocoque. Aluminium uprights are complimented by BBS standard machined magnesium wheel rims and standard wheel covers.
Rear Suspension: Carbon fibre top and bottom wishbones with push rod operated torsion bars and transverse-mounted damper units mounted inside the carbon suspension carrier. Aluminium uprights are complimented by BBS standard machined magnesium wheel rims and FiA standard wheel covers.
Transmission & Hydraulic: Eight-speed semi-automatic cassette gearbox with reverse gear. Hydraulically operated "Quickshift" system maximising speed and consistency of gearshifts with a hydraulically controlled differential. Hydraulic supply for power unit actuation, power steering, DRS and clutch.
Renault E-Tech RE23
Displacement: 1.6L V6
Number of cylinders: 6
Rev limit: 15,000rpm
Pressure charging: Single turbocharger, unlimited boost pressure (typical 5 bar abs)
Fuel flow limit: 100kg/h
Permitted fuel quantity per race: Max 110kg
Configuration: 90 degree V6
Bore: 80mm
Stroke: 53mm
Crank height: 90mm
Number of valves: 4 per cylinder, 24
Fuel: Direct fuel injection
MGU-K rpm: Max 50,000rpm
MGU-K power: Max 120kW
Energy recovered by MGU-K: Max 2 MJ/lap
Energy released by MGU-K: Max 4 MJ/lap
MGU-H rpm: >100,000rpm
Energy recovered by MGU-H: Unlimited
Weight: Min 150kg
Number of Power Units: 3 ICE/Turbo/MGUH/MGU-K permitted per driver in 2020 and 2 ES/CU 8 sets of engine exhausts
Total horsepower: More than 950hp