Included as part of this was a new floor and beam wing, as the Enstone-based team continues to optimise its aerodynamic package over the first phase of the championship.
Most interestingly, one of the floor’s new features is the addition of a metal stay, something Alpine had previously not needed like other teams.
While its competitors had found they needed the stays to stop their lightweight floors from flexing and triggering porpoising, Alpine had taken a hit in running a bulkier floor that didn’t need extra support.
It was an area Alpine’s chief technical officer Pat Fry had pointed out earlier in the campaign as having given his rivals an advantage.
“We designed our car for maximum performance, but accepting that it was going to be slightly heavier and slightly overweight,” he said in Saudi Arabia.
“We put a lot of stiffness in the floor and our wide top body also allows you a stiffer installation. So that’s helped us out to be honest.
“But it was a bit of a cop out when a stay was added. But what can I say? That was a bit frustrating.
“We haven’t put it [the stay] on because we’re already stiff enough, and I expect that has helped other people out massively.
“That’s all part of the game. We just have to take it on the chin and design around it for the next upgrade. You can make a lighter car but we’ve already spent the weight.”
It seems Alpine has adopted the mentality that if you can’t beat them, join them – by going for a stay that suggest its floor is now lighter to take advantage of the fact it can get extra support.
The inclusion of the stay likely allows Alpine to reduce some of the weight and stiffness of the floor, as it will now take up the slack that had been previously been there from the stronger concept.
The new floor also saw the design of the floor edge cutouts optimised, with a larger, more steeply angled, section housed between the two crescent-shaped cutouts (red arrow).
The design is reminiscent of the one seen over on the Red Bull…
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