2022 will be a season of truth for Alpine. The French team, after the fifth place in the Constructors won last year, will necessarily have to aim to do better this season.
To make a definitive qualitative leap, the team has decided to focus all its efforts on a single-seater, the A522, which could prove to be the surprise of the season.
Today, however, the last day of testing of the first test session in Barcelona did not smile at the transalpine team. A power unit failure while Fernando Alonso was behind the wheel forced the team to review plans and terminate the work schedule early.
During this troubled day we were guests of Alpine to take stock of the situation with Pat Fry, technical director of the French team.
Can you give us an evaluation of this first test session?
“Today was a frustrating day, but in the past few days we have been running reliably, putting several laps on the farm. The most important thing is that we have found a correlation between the data from the gallery and those of the track. Obviously we did not push to the limit. we want to analyze every detail as much as possible before doing it “.
“This morning we had a small hydraulic leak that resulted in a big damage, involving the gearbox. There was a fire between the engine and the gearbox. When something like this happens you have to replace the components, it takes at least 10 hours of work and we only had 7 hours before the end of the session. It’s frustrating. “
First impressions from the car after these days?
“It appears to be a good car. We found a correlation between what we saw on the track and the data in the wind tunnel and the simulator. We are not pushing hard, but we do not know our competitors’ programs ”.
Fernando Alonso, Alpine A522
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Do the drivers seem happy with the new car?
“We have improved many areas compared to last season’s car, but this year the rules have changed substantially with the introduction of ground effect cars.”
“We have an idea of where we can be, but nothing definitive. It’s hard to say where we are: you don’t know how much others are really pushing, even by looking at the GPS data. Using the DRS you gain for example 7 tenths, and then that’s the weight of fuel … It will be a big headache. “
While checking the other cars, did you notice any interesting features that can also be adopted on yours?
“I believe there is always something to watch and learn from everyone. Each team has a team of 50 aerodynamicists, so 500 people worked on these rules. There are so many solutions out there: two cars look alike, but the others are different and it’s beautiful! We learn all the time. ”
Have you planned any upgrades for the season?
“We work in different times: we have upgrades that will arrive for the Bahrain test and for the first race. We have one, a nice package, which will arrive soon in the season and will be the result of studies in the wind tunnel. We have to quickly evaluate the results. data we have collected so far: some updates require 3 days, others three months. We have a program, but we are attentive to the variables in progress. This is also part of the challenge. “
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A522
Photo by: Alessio Morgese
What was the biggest challenge?
“From a technical point of view, of course the aerodynamics. The cars are very close to the ground, and the bottom risks breaking and exploding. Thus, you would have an incredible loss of downforce. You have to understand how the venturi tunnel works effectively. you have a lot of downforce but you are not stable, it is useless: you have to find a compromise. We have completely redesigned the power unit, this too was a nice additional challenge “
Have you had any surprises about the reactions of the car on the track?
“No: we had some surprises on filming day, with a bumping phenomenon that we have solved and that we have all seen hit. We have to fix the behavior of the tires, but it’s not a huge problem.”
How did you manage to cancel the porpoising that was so much talked about yesterday?
“It’s about finding the correct aerodynamic balance of the car: you don’t have to stress the aerodynamics too much. It’s not exactly an easy thing: you need a compromise between what you can achieve as maximum speed on the straight and what you can achieve in fast corners”
What do you need to be competitive?
“To be able to make the team progress, three key factors are needed: a large group of people, good tools and a good way of working. We are improving in all three areas. The budget cap helps from this point of view, especially to improve. the working methodology. Now those who invested massively large sums of money find themselves with their arms tied. The big teams are suffering from the budget cap, but it is a major challenge for everyone. “
How has Fernando Alonso changed?
“Fernando is among the top four drivers on the grid, it’s great to have him on the team. He pushes us to do better, all the time, and he’s an important spur. He’s driven different types of cars in his Formula 1 career and it’s useful to have different opinions. when you change your car so radically “
Have you seen any interesting solution or something you had discarded?
“We took about 200 photos this morning! Of course, we have seen many interesting solutions from our rivals. In some areas we have chosen different paths, with the intention of achieving the same result”
How can the budget cap affect?
“If you have a major accident you have to reshape the development and investment plan for the rest of the season.”
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