Gasly gives initial feedback after Alpine shakedown

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Pierre Gasly offered a positive first impression of Alpine's new A523 after sampling his new mount at Silverstone on Monday ahead of the car's official presentation on Thursday.

Alpine completed a 100 km 'filming day' at Silverstone to conduct a systems check and shake down of its 2023, with both Gasly and team mate Esteban Ocon taking to the track onboard the new machine.

Together, the French duo completed an aggregate 17 laps of Silverstone, with Alpine reporting that the outing had gone "without any issues".

©Alpine

"It’s a fantastic feeling to be driving again, especially in my new colours of Alpine," commented Gasly who joined the Enstone squad after six seasons with the Red Bull family.

"Today was about getting an initial feel for the car and it felt very good on the laps I drove.

"I know everyone at the team has worked tirelessly to develop the car over the winter and it’s a proud moment to drive it today and see everyone’s faces in the garage.

"I’m looking forward to the launch on Thursday and then learning even more about the car at testing."

Read also: Gasly approach to Alpine 'completely different' than move to Red Bull

Ocon was equally happy to get back to work and to get a feel for his new car.

"It’s not until you get back out on track in a Formula 1 car that you realise how much you miss it!" he said.

"It was an honour to drive the A523 today and experience first-hand all the hard work and improvements that have gone into this car.

"A big thank you to all the women and men at Viry and Enstone for reaching this milestone and seeing the car on-track for the first time.

"The first lap is always a memorable one and I’m glad today went smoothly."

Alpine will publicly display its new A523 at its launch event in London on Thursday evening at 20:00 GMT.

The team will then pack its flight cases and to Bahrain where pre-season testing will kick off on February 23.

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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.