ALPINE NEWS - JUNE 2021

UPCOMING NEWS

/ Story - A480: The alchemy of tire management
The A480 engineers explain the alchemy of tire management.

/ Sports calendar
[F1] The French Grand Prix takes places at Le Castellet!
Austrian Grand Prix on the Spielberg circuit on June 27th and July 4th.
The cars will meet again on July 18th at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.

[WEC] The 6 Hours of Monza will mark the third race of the WEC season, to be held on July 18th.

[CUP] The Spa-Francorchamps circuit will host the Alpine Elf Europa Cup on June 20th.

FOCUS ON… ALPINE CARS AND ALPINE F1 TEAM, PREPARING THE CARS OF TOMORROW

For Alpine, aerodynamics is the new frontier for sports car performance (speed, range). As part of the development of the brand's future models, Alpine Cars' engineers have called on the expertise and methods of the Alpine F1 Team's aerodynamicists based in Enstone.

The study work involved the A110, simultaneously conducted from the wind tunnel in France and Enstone with the Alpine F1 Team engineers.

The A110 was equipped with a Rake made of 160 sensors and four scanners to collect and process information. The car was also equipped with surface pressure sensors to measure the air pressure on the bodywork and to identify areas of low and high pressure. In total, the A110 was equipped with almost 300 sensors. To complete the battery of tests and measurements, part of the bodywork was covered with a paint with a specific viscosity, also used in Formula 1, allowing it to capture all the air flows on the bodywork at a speed of around 130 km/h.

The data collected over 8 hours was processed almost simultaneously, whereas it usually takes several weeks of work in a non-F1 context. This collaboration, beyond the finesse and quality of the data collected, also makes it possible to reduce the costs and development times related to the aerodynamics of future Alpine models.

In the meantime, the Alpine F1 Team and BorgWarner - a specialist firm in propulsion technology - have announced a technical partnership that will benefit production vehicles from Alpine and the Renault-NissanMitsubishi Alliance. Indeed, cars and F1 faces similar challenges in optimizing every propulsion-related detail to achieve greater range and power while taking into account environmental impact. With this technical partnership, Alpine can benefit from a shared approach to electrification, hybridization, high performance batteries and energy recovery components.

Link to the press release

DID YOU KNOW?

“What is BOP (Balance of Performance)? What impact does it have on the race?”

When several types of racing car with different engines compete in the same class, it makes sense that their performance levels shall be similar. If the legislator of the championship concerned does not take steps to balance the performance of these cars, the show on the track is likely to be bit dull, with the best performing car leading from start to finish.

To keep the suspense alive, and to ensure that each team has a chance of winning the race in its class, the championship organizers have introduced a Balance of Performance (BoP). The principle of a BoP is to reduce the performance of a car compared to other cars in the same class, either by imposing ballast, limiting aerodynamic devices, or limiting the maximum power or energy of its engine. In races where refueling is allowed, BoP may also involve limiting the speed at which the tank is filled.
After inspection, time penalties during the race, or in extreme situations, disqualification, may be applied in the event of a detected infringement. A BoP is in force in the Hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in which Alpine is entered. It may change as the season progresses. For example, during the 8 Hours of Portimao on June 13, the weight of the Alpine Endurance Team's A480 increased from 930 to 952 kg, an additional 22 kg of ballast compared to the first race of the season. The maximum level of usable energy on its engine has also been reduced from 920 to 918 Mega Joules.

After the introduction of the BoP, the level of performance of the cars in the same class depends essentially on the race strategy, the settings made before the race, and obviously the drivers' driving skills.

“F1 tech put to use in Leicester’s Hospitals”

A pioneering new device to help doctors and nurses communicate clearly while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) has been developed and successfully tested by Leicester academics in collaboration with engineers from Formula 1 racing. The PPE worn by medical staff treating patients with COVID-19 and other infectious diseases means that doctors and nurses regularly have to shout to be heard, which is not only exhausting but can also lead to communication errors that could potentially harm patients.

Tim Coats, Professor of Medicine at the University of Leicester and Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Leicester Hospitals, created the MedicCom in collaboration with the non-profit group Project Pitlane, which brings together leading figures from the world of F1.

MedicCom's prototype, uses a laryngeal microphone to pick up and amplify sound, allowing patients to better hear the medical staff caring for them. The same feature also allows doctors and nurses to hear each other much more clearly, while a Bluetooth connection links to a mobile phone, allowing the doctor or nurse to have a clear telephone conversation with the patient's relatives.

Working with F1 engineers, their knowledge of advanced electrical engineering - which results in a dramatic reduction in the size of the object - and their prototyping facilities were used to produce in six months a device that would normally take years.

Nine prototypes were produced using the Alpine F1 Team's facilities at Enstone. Alpine F1 Team strategic advisor Bob Bell, former Alpine electronics manager Jason Rees and Andy Damerum at Red Bull Advanced Technologies worked closely with Professor Coats to understand the needs of healthcare professionals and develop the new device in record time.

RECAP OF THE LATEST NEWS

ESTEBAN OCON AND ALPINE F1 TEAM DELIGHTED TO COMBINE FORCES UNTIL 2024 (16/06/2021)

Alpine F1 Team was pleased to confirm Esteban Ocon will continue with the team beyond the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season as part of a three-year agreement.

Link to the press release

ALPINE CLAIMS A HISTORIC POLE POSITION AND ANOTHER PODIUM IN PORTUGAL (14/06/2021)

Alpine Elf Matmut Endurance Team scores its second consecutive podium finish in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship season. Fastest in qualifying, the A480 entrusted to Nicolas Lapierre, André Negrão, and Matthieu Vaxiviere also clocked the best lap in the race during the 8 Hours of Portimão.

Link to the press release

FERNANDO MAGIC IN BAKU SECURES HIS BEST RESULT IN FORMULA 1 COMEBACK (06/06/2021)

Alpine F1 Team scored eight points from the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix thanks to a stunning final two laps by Fernando Alonso that saw the Spaniard climb four places to finish sixth position at the chequered flag. Esteban Ocon retired after suffering a loss of power earlier in the race.

Link to the press release

ALPINE F1 TEAM AND BORGWARNER LOOK TO FUTURE WITH NEW PARTNERSHIP (04/06/2021)

Alpine F1 Team is pleased to announce a new partnership with BorgWarner that builds on the long-standing collaboration between BorgWarner and Renault Group. These two firms have worked together for more than 30 years on the development of turbochargers and other propulsion technologies, including the current generation of highly advanced Alpine Cars power units.

Link to the press release

ALPINE X FELIPE PANTONE (21/05/2021)

The Argentinian artist creates unique works of art with the Alpine A110. The bodywork is painted in the spirit of Felipe Pantone. Only three out of four examples produced will be available for sale.

Link to the press release

PRESS FLEET VEHICLES

Contact: Jérôme Delgrange, +33 176 846 876

• A110 Pure Bleu
• A110S Gris Mat
• A110 Légende Gris Tonnerre
• A110 Légende GT 2021 Argent Mercure Mat