Alpine is making big changes in preparation for the 2022 Formula 1 season, and we’re not talking about the new car. We’ll get to that later. First, let’s look at Alpine’s new A522 F1 car built to the 2022 regulations, complete with its updated pink and blue livery.

One of the biggest differences between the Alpine A522 and its predecessor is the striking new livery. Instead of just a blue body, it now features pink highlights all around as a nod to their new title sponsor BWT. Yes, BWT is now with Alpine and no longer with Aston Martin. The team will also run a special flipped livery, with pink being more prominent than blue, for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races. They will then revert to the original colors for the rest of the season.

The A522 itself combines design features from other teams. It has slim air inlets like the AlphaTauri car and vents that run along the body, which we saw on the Aston Martin and Ferrari challengers. In addition, Alpine says the power unit is also new and lighter than ever. As a result, the engine cover is now slimmer and also helps with the airflow.

Aside from the new car, there are also a few changes to the team management. For 2022, Alpine has a new team principal – Otmar Szafnauer, formerly from Aston Martin. He will take up the reigns of running the F1 operation with drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.

Last year, the French manufacturer secured their first victory under the Alpine banner when Ocon won in Hungary. At the end of the 2021 season, the team finished sixth in the constructor’s championship.

“We have a new engine and we’re confident we had a good development in place for this new generation of car. We won’t know where everyone stands until Bahrain, but we’re excited to take the car for its first spin in testing this week. I hope the new regulations have worked and we get more exciting wheel-to-wheel racing this year,” said Alonso.

With the new car and new management, we can’t wait to see whether Alpine can challenge other midfield teams this 2022.