Alpine A523 hits the track ahead of official launch

©Alpine

Alpine will publicly unveil its new A523 later this week on Thursday, but the French outfit was at Silverstone today where it secretly shook down its 2023 F1 contender.

Both Esteban Ocon and the Enstone squad's new driver Pierre Gasly were on hand to sample the new machine, with the team conforming to F1's 'filming day' regulations by restricting its running to 100 km on Pirelli control tyres.

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"It’s been another milestone ticked for the A523 today with our shakedown at Silverstone and I’m pleased the day ran so smoothly," said Alpine Technical Director Matt Harmon.

"Esteban drove first in the morning to check all the systems were working properly as well as completing the usual install programme for the car.

"Pierre was then in the car in the afternoon for the first time in the A523 and completed eight stable laps to get an initial feel in his new surroundings.

"These days are of course limited and not representative, but we’ve certainly had a great day and we now look forward to testing in Bahrain where we expect to continue our learning of the 2023 car."

Alpine will pull the covers off its new car at an event in London at 20:00 GMT that will cap F1's launch season.

Next week, teams will head to Bahrain for pre-season testing which begins on February 20.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.