Alpine, mere hours after Mercedes-AMG, have become the latest team to have revealed their newest (or first, in the case of Alpine) contender in the F1 scene. The French manufacturer has partnered with Renault E-Tech to provide their powertrain, as the team finishes the transition from Renault to Alpine. The new car, dubbed the Alpine A521, a direct descendant of the Renault R.S.20, will be Alpine’s (formerly known as Renault F1 Team) first take on Formula 1 racing.
Written By Hafiz Akbar and Tanishka Vashee, Edited By Aiden Hover, Ishaan More
The team will be looking to make progress from 2020, where they finished 5th in the championship with podium finishes from both Esteban Ocon (1) and Daniel Ricciardo (2), who is now driving for McLaren after his contract with Renault ran out. Ricciardo has been replaced by veteran and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who is coming back from his brief hiatus from Formula 1. With a combination of youth in Ocon and experience in Alonso, Alpine is poised to be a potential team to watch.
Due to the lack of regulation change, the A521 will have little to no major changes, except for some changes to the floor due to a regulation change that requires it to be simplified to reduce downforce. In the engine department, they will continue using the Renault E-Tech powertrain that was used for the previous season. The livery features Alpine’s blue with the French tricolour on the nose, and the Alpine logo plastered on the side. The French colours make their presence very prominent and help make the livery one of the best we have seen so far. The new driver pairing of Alonso and Ocon will undoubtedly be exciting to see and may often cause some tense moments. However, with a car that is a direct descendant of last year’s, it will remain to be seen whether the team can keep competing at the front of the midfield pack.
Update:
It has just been confirmed that Daniil Kvyat will be the new reserve driver for Alpine in 2021!
📸 Alpine A521 🎙 Renault E-TECH 20B 🇫🇷 @OconEsteban 🇪🇸 @alo_oficial #A521Launch 💙 in the comments if you’re in love! pic.twitter.com/eWgwmKRziN — Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) March 2, 2021
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