Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake unveiled its 2023 challenger, the C43, at a launch event held jointly in Zurich and at the team headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland. At first, I thought it looked like it was going to be a Dr. Phil show replete with audience, applause signs and troubled teens but it turned out to be the best launch so far in 2023.
The session was hosted by Tom Clarkson who did a terrific job and he was joined by Team Representative, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Technical Director, Jan Monchaux, as well as reserve driver, Théo Pourchaire, Valtteri Bottas and Zho Guanyu.
The round table concept was effective and Tom’s questions had meat on them that uncovered more interesting thoughts, comments and concepts with Jan being a very good contributor to the discussion.
I thought Valtteri did a very good job and was quite loquacious for a Fin. He had some very good insight and presented himself as a mentally invested team leader. Zho was equally engaged and very animated about the new season.
The remote questions from journalists was a nice touch and led to more in-depth questions that revealed more about Jan’s design philosophy as well. In the end, it was about the C43 and it is a very nice looking car to be honest.
The move toward red, white and black makes a nice evolution toward Audi’s colors while still retaining all the Alfa Romeo-ness of their final year together. From a livery perspective, I think it is the nicest looking car so far.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Managing Director of Sauber Group and Team Representative: “Bringing a car to life is a long process which touches every department of a racing team, therefore it’s a moment of great pride to see it unveiled today. We chose to do it in front of our fans, close to our home, because the launch of a new car is not only a moment to state your objectives for the season ahead: it’s also a time to give back to the people who have supported you, be it in the grandstands, in front of the TV or back at the factory, and express our gratitude for their passion and their belief in our project. Our new car is the results of months of work, but today is just the beginning of a journey: we need to keep working hard, with humility and dedication, to bring performance to the track. Everyone in the team is committed to this target and we are confident we will reap the rewards of our work.”
Jan Monchaux, Technical Director of Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake: “I am very proud of what we have achieved over these last months, because creating a new car is always a massive effort from the team. This car is an evolution of last year’s, reflecting the new regulations and introducing major changes in the areas where we found improvements to be needed. I hope it’s going to be quicker than the successful car we had last year, that’s what matters most, and more reliable as well: we have put a lot of effort in this direction. Now, it’s time to get to the track and see how this car performs. I’m happy to get back to racing and I’m confident there will be much more to come from us soon.”
Valtteri Bottas, race driver of Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake: “The C43 is finally here, and I cannot wait to bring it out on track. I really like our new livery, I think it’s stunning, and a fine evolution from last year’s one. It’s been an interesting first season with the team, we made some pretty solid progress together, and now there’s only one direction to follow: up, higher, and better. There is obviously still work to do and things to improve, but I am confident we have it in ourselves to aim for even higher results this year. I cannot wait to go back to racing, I am fully charged and eager to get the new season started.”
Zhou Guanyu, race driver of Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake: “I am happy to finally see the C43 being unveiled after all the behind-the-scenes work that has been done in the past months; I think we are sporting a beautiful new design for 2023, and I am looking forward to driving the car in Barcelona in the next days, before properly getting the season started with winter testing in Bahrain. Last year, the team made me feel at home from the very start, welcoming me and giving me time to learn and improve. The expectation for this year is definitely higher, and I will carry all the experience from my rookie season into 2023. I’m excited for what’s coming, and I’m fully ready to attack.”
Must be a heavy unit. Lots of carbon showing. ~X8