Ever since 2017, there has been a pink car on the Formula 1 grid in some form or another thanks to a sponsoring company called BWT. From 2017 to 2020 they were with Force India/Racing Point, for 2021 they were with Aston Martin, and for 2022 they’ve partnered with Alpine. As such, the car, called the A522, features a large amount of BWT’s distinctive pink on it compared to the very few accents found on last year’s Aston Martin. However, there’s a twist: Alpine will be running two different liveries.
The team staged two reveals
for their 2022 challenger, one being live streamed in a studio for the world to
see, and another one outdoors. The one in the studio was a predominantly blue
car with pink accents, while the one outdoors was a predominantly pink car with
blue accents. Moments later, Alpine’s social media channels all posted the
official press photos of the car and it was the blue one. However, it was later
revealed that Alpine would actually run both liveries. The pink will be used for
the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and the blue will be used for
the rest of the season.
But aside from the livery
design, the car also manages to present a few unique design choices. Namely,
the side pods are similar to the McLaren MCL36‘s, but instead of smoothly
blending into the rest of the bodywork, they stay wide, cut in more abruptly at
the back and are aggressively undercut at the front. Additionally, the car also
features two sets of air outlet vents on the body as well as a straight-edged
rear wing.
The Alpine A522 will be driven
by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, who look to
continue off of a successful 2021 season after the former secured a podium for
the team and his first podium in seven years, the latter got both the team’s
maiden win and his own first win in Formula 1, and the team overall finished
fifth in the Constructors’ Championship. Alfa Romeo is the only team that has
yet to debut their 2022 car, the reveal of which will be taking place on February
27.
