Alpine has focused its permitted token spend on development work🧸 to the rear-end of its 2021 Formula 1 car.

In a bid to save costs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, F1 has frozen significant technical development between last season and this one, m𒁏eaning teams are carrying over the majority of their 2020 cars into 2021.

Each team has been ൩given two development tokens to use on major upgrades for their updated challengers, and the﷽ newly-rebranded Alpine squad has opted to spend its tokens on the rear-end of its A521 car that will be driven by returning two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon this year.

“We have spent our tokens at the rear of the car as this is the area we focused on,” Alpine executive director Marcin Budkows﷽ki explained at the team’s launch on Tuesday.

“In terms of engine, we have delayed the new engine architecture to 22 as well to go with the new car so this year’s engine is an evolution of last yea💦r’s engine.”

Budkowski said that F1’s “extensive” aerodynamic regulation changes - introduced to slow cars down this year and reduce downforce levels - has resulted ♈in a huge workload for teams over a shortened winter period.

“We have been racing against time over the winter to recover as much as possible of this performance,” he s🐎aid.

“So [there are] a lot of changes at the rear of the car, and this is where we focused our attention because tღhat’s where the regulations have i💫mpacted it.

“But overall you work on everything you can redevelop as at the end of the day there’s small gains to be made everywhere and it’s so competitive at the moment that you can’t neglect any🌳 part of the 🎀car.”

With its F1 operation split between Enstone in the UK and Viry-Châtillon in France, Alpine has faced additional hurdles in order🃏 to get its 2021 car completed on time due to coronavirus-related restrictions on movement between the two countries.

However, these restrictions will not p🍸revent the French manufacturer from carrying out a shakedown 🌜of the A521 at Silverstone on Wednesday, when Ocon will put the new car through its paces for the first time.

“It’s the 🎐usual logistics issue that everybody’s been experiencing at the border, so that delays the various p🐼arts and whether it’s engines or parts going between Viry and Enstone,” Budkowski explained.

“The biggest 🍎challenge has really been preparing for the ♒fire-up and the shakedown we’re doing tomorrow, because our engineers and technicians from Viry had to quarantine to be able to do the shakedown.

“But as usual we are getting around these restrictions and it won’t prevent us from runn🙈ing the car tomorrow.”