Alpine set date to unveil the team’s first F1 car after rebranding from Renault

Get your diaries out again: Alpine have confirmed they will hold a virtual launch of their 2021 Formula 1 car on March 2 – the same day that reigning champions Mercedes will launch their W12.

The team previously known as Renault have already announced that their 2021 car will be called the A521, and have already unveiled an interim livery (above). Alpine will field two-time champion Fernando Alonso alongside Frenchman Esteban Ocon this season.

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Alonso was recently discharged from hospital to continue his recovery from a road cycling accident, but expects to be fully fit for the start of the season.

McLaren were the first team to launch their 2021 car – the MCL35M – pulling the covers off on Monday, followed by a shakedown at Silverstone this morning.

The Enstone team have undergone huge changes over the winter: not only have they rebranded as Alpine and brought Alonso back on board, more than a decade after he last raced for them, but former Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul left the company last month.

A long time Renault employee, Abiteboul had been in sole charge of the F1 team since 2017, but left the company altogether following a shake-up by new CEO Luca de Meo, who joined from SEAT last year.

Ex-Suzuki MotoGP chief Davide Brivio has been brought in as the team's new Racing Director, but the exact management structure has yet to be confirmed.

ANALYSIS: What Cyril Abiteboul’s shock departure means for Alpine