Alpine A521

[PlatinumZealot]

Good illustration of how low profile the mclaren rear suspension is. The upper and lower arms are closer together in height.

Over the last Decade, McLaren have been lacking in Mechanical grip. So I'm not sure if you're saying it's good to be different from them or just stating it as neither good or bad, just that it is different?

Can make a good guess that the McLaren engineers see it as some sort of compromise to achieve some aero benefit why the put upper and lower wishbones so close together.

[DarkAlman]

Can't wait to see under the hood to see what's going on with that airbox

Anyone check yet if the sidepods are narrower?

Or maybe they're just adding more cooling for the new engine spec?

Cooling is the likely answer, there's extra strakes in the intake so at least one other radiator has likely been moved into the center line.

Maybe they re-located the entire Turbo inter-cooler up there?

Was Renault running a water-air intercooler last year? I forget

[RedNEO]

[Blackout]

A new letterbox inlet inside the wall of the lower rollhoop intake.
The RS.18-19-20 didnt have such a thing AFAIk
And they didnt have Alonso in the cockpit.

[Blackout]

Can't wait to see under the hood to see what's going on with that airbox

Anyone check yet if the sidepods are narrower?

Or maybe they're just adding more cooling for the new engine spec?

Cooling is the likely answer, there's extra strakes in the intake so at least one other radiator has likely been moved into the center line.

Maybe they re-located the entire Turbo inter-cooler up there?

Was Renault running a water-air intercooler last year? I forget

No. An air to air intercooler in each sidepod.

Regarding sidepods:
Sidepod 'hip' look larger on A521 at first glance in this Imola 2020/Sakhir 2021 camparison
https://i.imgur.com/kpiCKn3.jpg
 
But it's not true
 
Hip width comparison (pink arrow - angle is not the same but it should make the A521 hip look wider):
 
https://i.imgur.com/VCPGWn2.jpg
 
Intake:

 
 
Coclusion:
The A521 has more sculpted sidepods at the bottom/more undercut, are bit more sculpted at the top/overcut, and have smaller air intakes
 
If the purpose of the larger rollhoop is to reduce the sidepods, then the mission is partly accomplished... but that doesn't explain everything and several questions remain:
 
-why are the air intakes of the roll hoop the same, despite the doubling of its width?
-why did Enstone abandon the RB-style downwashy sidepods (that almost every other team adopted) after one season, and went back to classic and undercut sidepods?
-why is the Alpine coke bottle/waist area fatter? even the RS.17-18-19-20 had a much deeper waist

[Blackout]

They are running the shorter roll hoop cover today + the smaller hot air exits at the back of the car

[Morteza]

Via Scarbs

[fouad1979]

They are running the shorter roll hoop cover today + the smaller hot air exits at the back of the car
https://i.imgur.com/6oLkfVF.jpg

Great u cant notice that when his running

[fouad1979]

They are running the shorter roll hoop cover today + the smaller hot air exits at the back of the car
https://i.imgur.com/6oLkfVF.jpg

They are tweaking the floor also , it was little bit basic and simple comparing with the others

[Morteza]

[GoranF1]

Reports from track saying car looks very s table. Karun Chandok

[Nano4k]

could they run different engines?

[aerofoilf1]

Floor edge options...

[Morteza]

[diffuser]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EwWxBk6XMAE ... name=large

Looks like they're adjusting the amount of cooling they need. Came in big and wide for starters, now reeling it in.

Maybe the the bulb behind the roll hoop might shrink down for the first race too.... Evaluating whatever they changed there?