Alpine to launch 2021 F1 car on 2 March
Alpine has announced the launch date for its 2021 Formula 1 car after completing a successful fire-up at its Enstone factory last week


Following the rebranding of the former Renault operation over the winter, Alpine will present its new F1 car, the A521, to the world on 2 March.
It makes Alpine the seventh team to confirm its launch plans ahead of the new season, leaving only Red Bull, Haas and Aston Martin still to finalise a date to unveil their cars.
Alpine will enter the new season with a fresh image and a fresh driver line-up as two-time world champion Fernando Alonso joins the team for a third stint at Enstone.
Alonso will partner the incumbent Esteban Ocon, who scored his first F1 podium for Renault at last year's Sakhir Grand Prix.
There have also been some notable changes at management level for the French marque, with former Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul leaving in January.
All fired up for our 2021 launch, join us virtually on the 2nd March 2021!
— Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) February 16, 2021
? Save The Date ? pic.twitter.com/R2mGKJAnLe
Former Suzuki MotoGP boss Davide Brivio has joined in the role of racing director, while it is anticipated that existing executive director Marcin Budkowski will step up to become team principal.
Laurent Rossi has also taken up the role as CEO of the entire Alpine operation, reaching across to its road car division as well.
Alpine completed a successful fire-up of the new car last week, and is now in the process of finalising plans ahead of the car launch next month. The team will be launching on the same day as Mercedes.
An interim Alpine livery was revealed last month at a Renault Group event, but will be replaced by the full season colour scheme that is set to be unveiled at the launch event.
Concerns were flared for the team's pre-season preparations when Alonso was involved in an accident while cycling in Switzerland last week. The Spaniard required corrective surgery after fracturing his upper jaw, but has since been discharged and is expected to be fully fit for the start of the new season.
The Alpine A521 car will complete its first extended run-out at the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain on 12-14 March, two weeks before the start of the new season.

Red Bull open to producing its own F1 engines from 2025
Aston Martin announces launch plans for 2021 F1 car

Latest news
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures