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Alpine F1 have confirmed the date for the launch of their car for the upcoming 2022 F1 season. The new A522 will be revealed to the world on February 21, two days before the first F1 pre-season testing session in Barcelona.
Alpine are the sixth team to confirm the date for their car's reveal. The team will have the sport's most recent first-time race winner Esteban Ocon driving for them, alongside F1 veteran and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. 2021 F2 world champion Oscar Piastri is the reserve driver for the Anglo-French outfit for the forthcoming campaign.
The A522's engine was fired up recently, with the team sharing the news with the world on social media to commemorate the collaboration between its factories in Enstone and Viry.
Meanwhile, the Anglo-French team will be heading into the 2022 season under new leadership. Following the departures of Marcin Budkowski and Alain Prost, former Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer will take over the reins of the team.
A P5 finish in the constructors' standings in 2021 glossed over what was a hit-and-miss season for the team. McLaren in P4 led Alpine by 120 points at the end of the season. How the team adapts to the new regulatory changes for the 2022 campaign remains to be seen.
Alpine 'more prepared' for F1 2022 season, feels Fernando Alonso
Seasoned F1 driver Fernando Alonso feels his team is 'more prepared' for the 2022 season, set to start towards the second half of March. The 40-year-old returned to the sport in 2021 with the Anglo-French team, earning his first F1 podium since 2014 at the Qatar Grand Prix.
During an interview with motorsport.com, Alonso weighed up the expectations against the chances his team has for the new season. He said:
“We are still not on top of all the problems, but everyone will have a different opinion. Obviously, with experience working for different teams, I could see some things that we were weak, other areas we were very strong. You try always to make the team stronger and stronger, and more prepared into 2022.”
While much is unknown for the team as they enter a new era of F1, Alonso remains optimistic about his team's chances of reducing the gap to the leading pack.
