Alpine, which has abandoned the pink color to return to the more classic blue, is producing its utmost effort to try to revive the Enstone team’s fortunes in compliance with the objectives that the team had set itself at the beginning of the season. For the moment, the results have not been equal to expectations, also because the damage that Pierre Gasly manages to produce is such as to eat up a part of the development budget.
Pierre Gasly with the Alpine A523 on fire under the bonnet in free practice
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Between the bang at the second restart in Australia involving teammate Esteban Ocon and the start of a fire under the bonnet in yesterday’s FP1 that preceded the hit on the wall during qualifying, the spare parts count is getting heavy , although the team principal, Otmar Szafnauer believes that a budget provision has been made to cover the accidents.
In Baku, the Enstone team brought an important package of innovations, although there was only one session of free practice to evaluate and deliberate it: in yesterday’s Sprint race, the two French riders remained outside the first eight positions, sharing points , but the hope is to do better today in the race.
![Alpine A523 detail of the cut front wing equipped with sensors](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/2jX9Xnq6/s1000/alpine-a523-front-wing-detail--1.jpg)
Alpine A523 detail of the cut front wing equipped with sensors
Photo by: George Piola
The Alpine has attracted attention for some solutions that have been seen on the wings, even if the important changes concern the bottom and the suspensions.
The front wing is characterized by a removal of material in the central part of the last flap with a showy curvature of the element useful for reducing the resistance to advancement, but what aroused a certain curiosity was the main profile of the rear wing : the chord of this element has been reduced, but the interesting aspect is that the leading edge has been cut, which is now set back a few centimeters from the side bulkheads.
![Detail of the Alpine A523 rear wing with the leading edge cut off](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0mb5XNA2/s1000/alpine-a523-rear-wing-detail-1.jpg)
Detail of the Alpine A523 rear wing with the leading edge cut off
Photo by: George Piola
The technicians directed by Pat Fry were also forced to review the wing support of the single pylon. To stay on the rear wing, we also note a small modification of the small cantilevered flap of the endplate: for Baku, a fast track, the surface has been reduced.
![Alpine A523: new carbon covers of the upper triangle of the front suspension](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0rGbVwm2/s1000/alpine-a523-front-detail-1.jpg)
Alpine A523: new carbon covers of the upper triangle of the front suspension
Photo by: George Piola
At Alpine, they also intervened on the front and rear suspensions: they didn’t work on the kinematic mechanisms, but on the carbon covers, especially on the upper front triangle, to increase the angle of incidence in order to direct more air towards the bottom .
Also at the rear, the redesign of the arm profiles, associated with a different interpretation of the brake duct, should have given a greater local aerodynamic load, without increasing drag.
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