The A523 was inconsistent, usually suffering at high-speed and low-downforce tracks. There were good moments, notably in Monaco, where Esteban Ocon started and finished third, while team newcomer Pierre Gasly matched that result in the high attrition Zandvoort race.
However, there were mediocre weekends that saw the cars running outside the top 10, and there were also too many retirements, with contact often playing a role – most unfortunately in Australia, where Gasly and Ocon tangled. Meanwhile, the overall points total fell from 173 to 120.
