Alpine opts for performance over reliability with new engine design
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi directed the French outfit to go all-in on the development of its new engine for 2022, opting to put performance over reliability.
In a bid to bridge the power gap with its rival F1 manufacturers, Alpine will be powered this season by an all-new Renault power unit that takes a big leaf out of Mercedes' engine book.
The new unit built in Viry-Châtillon will feature the split turbo and compressor design that proved to be a game changer for the German manufacturer in F1's hybrid era.
And Rossi is banking on the new engine design to carry Alpine forward, even if the performance upgrade comes to the detriment of reliability as he explained.
"It's either reliability or performance, as you usually have a hard time having both," Rossi told the media. "So it's just where do you push the envelope?
"During the year [of development] we experienced a couple of moments where the reliability was not there, but that's our choice because the only lever we are going to have at our disposal this year is reliability.
"So I told the team: you push the envelope far and I don't care. I'd rather have to dial down on the performance but know that I've reached the peak of the performance I can get, than be reliable and just feel comfortable with a reliable engine that is not delivering performance.
"This, by the way, was the approach of the past. So we pushed in the other direction. And the good news is we've been doing thousands of kilometres with this new PU in the past few weeks."
Rossi elaborated on the reasons behind Renault's choice to adopt Mercedes' split turbo concept, an approach that will benefit Alpine's entire 2022 package.
"The engine has been redesigned entirely," he said. "When I say brand new it is even in the concept.
"Firstly, that is split turbo, but that is only one of the visible elements that will make it more compact, enable us to move it closer to the driver, and therefore change the centre of gravity of the car.
"It's lighter and it's capable of operating in a much wider range of conditions, temperature and pressure. So it's really like a game changer for us.
"And I hope it will enable us to catch up and close the gap to the front."
Alpine is set to unveil its 2022 contender on Monday evening during a digital launch in Paris.
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