Alpine to launch 2022 F1 car two days before testing

The French outfit will launch the A522 on February 21, just two days before pre-season testing gets underway in Barcelona.

On Friday, the team shared an audio clip of its new car being fired up for the first time.

Alpine is the sixth team to confirm the date of its car launch with Red Bull, Williams, Haas and Alfa Romeo still yet to announce.

Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso will remain alongside Esteban Ocon for a second season.

The Enstone-based team still finished fifth in the constructors’ championship despite taking a step back in terms of performance relative to 2020.

Ocon took the team’s first win since 2013 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Alonso returned to the podium for the first time since his days with Ferrari in Qatar in the second half of the year.

Alpine is pinning its hopes on the new regulations to return to the front of the field.

It’s been a busy off-season for Alpine with Alain Prost leaving the team, while Otmar Szafnauer has been heavily-linked after leaving Aston Martin.

Alonso and Ocon will get their first proper test of the 2022 car when pre-season testing gets underway on February 23-25 in Barcelona.

A second test will take place in Bahrain on March 10-12 ahead of the season-opener on March 20.