We have already mentioned that Alpine F1 is preparing a number of technical innovations for the race in Baku. But of course the A523 upgrade process continues and the team will present the next updates in Imola, then in Montreal and Silverstone. Some minor improvements will be made between these phases.
“We are going to do as we did last year. If we expect a new part to bring a tangible increase in speed, it will appear on the car, said Auto Motor und Sport team leader Otmar Szafnauer. “Unfortunately, progress depends on many factors, but we believe that we can at least maintain the same pace of modernization as Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin.”
But if everything goes according to plan, the A523 will already be three tenths faster at Imola.
Everyone remembers that the Australian Grand Prix for the factory Renault team ended with a double retirement after two Alpine cars collided on the restart.
“The problem is not even that such an accident will cost us dearly, because we work with a limited budget,” said Safnauer. – But because of this we are forced to adjust priorities. First of all, we need to build a reserve of spare parts for the race in Baku. Parts such as the front fender are extremely difficult to produce in a matter of weeks. We need to see if, with everything that has happened, we can prepare for the entire planned set of updates.”
Yet Safnauer is not inclined to dramatize the consequences of the incident: “Both Pierre and Esteban have apologized for what happened. This suggests that both feel guilty. Therefore, we qualify this as a normal racing incident. There were two cars in front of Gasly and when the rear wheels of his Alpine were on the track he slid to the right, unaware that Esteban was there.
The head of Alpine F1 does not share the view of those who believe it would be better if the race ended calmly behind the safety car, rather than restarting from the spot: “The rules are as they are. If track alignment is delayed, red flags will be posted, and this is quite normal.
Overall, we would prefer there was a rule that allowed the race to be completed on the 55th lap (on this lap, Gasly was running in 5th and Okon in 10th). However, no matter what scenario arises, some will count the losses, while others will gain an advantage…”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
