03/03/2021
NEWS STORY
Esteban Ocon was at the wheel of the Alpine A521 at Silverstone today as the French team took to the track for a filming day.
The A521, powered by this year's Renault E-Tech 20B power unit, is an evolution of last year's R.S.20 with the core structure of the package a continuation from 2020.
The team has worked hard over the winter months to adapt to the FIA imposed aerodynamic rule changes, in particular, with development work at the rear of the car.
The car headed out on track minutes after 09:00 for an installation lap. With a short delay, due to low-lying morning fog in Northamptonshire, Ocon pushed on, completing 16 laps of the full 5.891km Grand Prix circuit.
"It was really good fun today," said the Frenchman. "First of all, it was nice to get in the car again at a track like Silverstone as that's always something special.
"The car felt nice to drive for the first time and we managed to get through our programme as planned. There was a bit of a delay this morning with the fog, but once that cleared, the track was dry and that made the running very enjoyable.
"I wish I could drive for more than 100km, but that's the limit, and I leave here with a smile on my face. We want to take that into Bahrain next week when conditions will be more representative with the race tyres and some heat.
"All in all, it was a very interesting day and I can't wait to discover more about the car. I have to say, I love the new colours. It's the best-looking car on the grid!"
The team's preparations for the season continue with testing in Bahrain beginning next week, when Fernando Alonso will join Ocon to enjoy his first taste of the A521.
Once again, the teams are giving little away, with Alpine only issuing 4 images from today's action, none of them showing any significant detail of the car.
Check out our gallery, here.