2022 TEAM PREVIEWS: Alpine

Alpine are among the teams that are hardest to predict coming into 2022. While a flurry of changes has occurred within the team, the potential of the factory Renault team climbing back up the pecking order seems rather slim. But do the team have something up their sleeve?

The team recently confirmed one of the worst kept secrets across the grid, announcing former Aston Martin team principal, Otmar Szafnauer, as their own team principal for 2022. And joining him, popular sponsor BWT. Which explains the pink livery..

Alpine will introduce an all-new power unit (PU) this year, it involves a split-turbo architecture similar to what the Mercedes team introduced almost 10 years ago, last time the regulations changed. The ECU will be considerably smaller, reportedly making room for a cooling package that is 15% smaller than last season.

The changes to the PU across the grid have not been highlighted as much due to the drastic changes to the aerodynamics department, and yet it might be one of the key factors of the predicted 'shake-up' this season promises to deliver.

The car looks good, some might even say it looks great. Featuring a slim nose with rather round sides which help bring the airflow over the nose more effectively. There is also a significant undercut beneath the side pods, an approach only a couple of teams have taken. But the thing that might separate them from the rest is the cooling louvres. The Alpine team are the only ones to use these louvres to separate out the engine cover area from the side pods. Incorporating both the downward ramp and the louvres, potentially giving them the best compromise between the two.

But am I convinced? Not really.

Barcelona testing did not quite go to the 'el-plan' for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, finishing with the 13th fastest time over the weekend with a 1:21.242 on the C3 tyre. The disappointment was also fuelled with the Renault engine going up in smoke at the beginning of the third day. Teammate Esteban Ocon did not have much more luck, finishing 18th overall with a 1:21.949, also on the C3 tyre.

Although the timesheets are something we do not tend to follow during testing, it is certainly a worry that the Alpine team were unable to walk away with many positives. This past week, an unknown Spanish source claimed that:

"Fernando is very good. The car.. not so much."

Then when asked to expand on this, the source said "There are things missing.. things are missing".

On the bright side of things, Alpine look forward to being able to develop the reigning Formula 2 champion, Oscar Piastri. With mandatory FP1 rookie outings being in place for 2022, the Australian is certain to get his chance on track in an official Formula 1 session to help prepare himself for a possible seat with the team in 2023.

With reports that confidence isn't very high in the garage, it doesn't leave us with very high expectations. Whether or not the car is built well enough to pass others on track, I am sensing a season that might be full of mechanical issues. Meaning in a season where the pecking order is certain to be shaken up, Alpine is potentially in the box seat to have the biggest drop in competitiveness from 2021 to 2022.

Predictions

Drivers championship

Fernando Alonso - 16th

Esteban Ocon - 19th

Constructors championship

Alpine - 9th