The French manufacturer has shown encouraging pace during the start of the 2022 F1 season, but a series of reliability issues and bad luck have affected its chances of scoring big points.
However, the team is confident that it has a car that can allow it to regularly fight at the front of the midfield pack.
Many teams are bringing upgrades for the Spanish GP, and Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed that the most notable upgrade to his A522 will be at the rear of the car.
“We have a new rear wing for Spain,” he said. “It should be more efficient than the last time we ran there and it should add a bit more performance, so we’ll have that in both cars.
Alpine has been quite innovative with its rear wing concept so far this season, competing in Miami with a design that it first used at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix .
In fact, its novel design concept could attract the attention of some of its rivals as it reverses a trend that has been used for many years.
The wing features a section of bodywork that has been patched or patched to the upper rear corner of the endplate (red arrow, pictured above).
Typically, teams use a cut there to disrupt the vortex that is generated when pressure gradients collide at the junction of the endplate and flap.
However, we see a change in trend when we consider the role that the new coiled endplate joint design has on the designer’s choice, as the vortex will be altered by it.
How that affects the DRS when activated should also be considered, as the split in the fin is now further in than the designers had been used to.
As well as direct aerodynamic improvements, the team of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon are also working on reducing weight, an issue that most teams struggle with in 2022.
Alpine sporting director Alan Permane said the team had made good progress on that front with the changes made at Imola, but had not yet reached the point they were looking for.
“We have achieved a little, but there is still more to come,” he said. “There are some good steps yet to come in that area. We’re still a little bit over the top weight-wise.”
“I don’t think we’re as bad as some, but we’re not as good as others either. I’ve heard some cars are under or specifically at the weight limit. We’re a bit over it, but we’ve steadily improved since the first race. And we’re reducing it.”
