Previewing the first race of the 2024 F1 season, Alpine outlined the challenges that lie ahead
The more time you spend around Formula 1, the more you appreciate the often brutal honesty from the drivers and team members. In contrast to other sports, such as the NFL, where the athletes and coaches often keep their cards close to the vest, F1 drivers and Team Principals often fully disclose where they are, and what they need to do to improve.
One team that has been rather honest about where they stand ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix? Alpine. The team was stuck in the middle of the grid a season ago, quick enough to avoid a challenge from Williams and the other teams at the bottom of the table, but too far off the pace to put pressure on Aston Martin and McLaren ahead of them.
As they head into the 2024 season, Alpine has made it clear that the start of the year could be an uphill climb.
“We are looking forward to the start of the Formula 1 racing season in Bahrain this weekend. We had a productive three-day test here last week where we continue to learn and progress the A524,” said Team Principal Bruno Famin in the team’s media preview. “We knew it was not going to be an easy start to the season. Accepting these challenges is all part of racing in Formula 1 and it is important that we all push very hard to develop the A524 in the coming weeks and months.”
Similar to McLaren a season ago, Alpine is already pointing to some mid-season development which should improve the A524, their challenger for the 2024 campaign. According to Famin, the team has a good foundation with the A524, giving them the opportunity to improve the car over the course of the season.
“The car has a good base, one we can and will develop across the season,” added Famin. “I was very pleased to see the togetherness in the team in recent weeks and months in reaching various milestones, which culminated with having the car on track last week. And it is that hard work that will continue in order for us to keep progressing.”
As for the drivers, both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly understand that their expectations need to be “realistic,” but have already seen some improvements with the A524 during pre-season testing.
“The test session in Bahrain was extremely valuable and we learnt a lot about the new car and its characteristics. The car improved from the first to the last day in testing, so we’re hoping to see similar improvements over the course of the race weekend,” outlined Ocon. “We know what we’re working with heading into the opening race of the season, and we must extract the maximum from our package to give us the best possible chance of coming away with something from the weekend.”
“We had a very busy three-day test last week. We just focused on ourselves, did our own [program] without too much stress and conducted so many tests as we learn more and more about our overall car package,” added Gasly. “I expect it will take some time for us to unlock the performance we want from the car but that is no surprise given it’s a new concept. I’m remaining realistic. I know it will not be an easy start for us but what is most important is to keep identifying the key areas of work and to learn and progress.”
The team also shared a video of Gasly driving the Bahrain Grand Prix on the simulator, so if you want to get a feel for the circuit the grid will tackle this weekend, you can ride along here with the Alpine driver:
Alpine may be hoping for a McLaren-type rise this year, following a similar path their rivals traveled a season ago. Last year McLaren struggled during testing and pointed to some needed upgrades for the MCL60 as their path up the table. The team delivered those throughout the season, propelling McLaren to a fourth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.
Can Alpine follow that path? Time will tell, but they will get their first crack at that road this weekend in Bahrain.
