Alpine Racing has announced the launch date for their new Formula One 2023 car which will be called A523. Through a series of social media posts on Wednesday, they have confirmed that the care will be officially released to the general public on February 16 in London.

The French motorsport racing team based out of Enstone in England and Very Chatillion in France finished fourth in the World Constructors’ Championship in 2022. The Otmar Szafnauer-led side will also field an all-French driver lineup this year in Esteban Ocon and new signing Pierre Gasly who arrives from Alpha Tauri. Meanwhile, veteran driver Fernando Alonso has departed for Aston Martin.

It goes without saying that the new car will also follow the naming pattern that began when the Renault-owned team was rebranded as Alpine in April 2021. Last year’s car was called the A522 and as a result, it is hardly surprising that the car to be used in 2023 is being dubbed as A523.

Alpine are the fourth team on the grid to have confirmed their launch date for the new year, following Alpha Tauri (February 11), Aston Martin (February 13), and Ferrari (February 14).

The Alpine A523 will then complete its first extended run-out at the start of pre-season testing nine days later, with running taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit from 23-25 February.

New arrival Gasly had tested the A522 at Yas Marina Circuit after the 2022 season had concluded and said at the time: “Firstly, thanks to the entire team for making me feel so welcome over the last two days and I’m feeling ready to begin this next chapter in my career.

“I’m looking forward to visiting everyone at Viry and Enstone, debriefing on this test, before working towards our objectives alongside Esteban for the 2023 season.”

Alpine’s CEO Laurent Rossi added that their fourth finish in the World Constructors Championship last year was a pivotal step towards their progress and growth as they look to improve and move towards fighting for the championship eventually.

Although the team failed to score a podium finish, an aggressive approach to car development allowed it to beat McLaren in the race for fourth place and end the season as the top midfield team. 

With that being said, however, the team did struggle with reliability issues, especially concerning the power unit which has been an important area of focus during the winter.