Formula 1 News: Alpine Resists bringing Minor Updates to Focus on Significant Leap Forward
Pierre Gasly has revealed that Alpine is resisting the temptation to introduce minor updates to its Formula 1 car, opting instead to focus on a substantial package that will enable the team to “fight for relevant positions“. This strategy comes as the Enstone-based team strives to recover from a disappointing start to the 2024 season.
Heading into the current campaign, Alpine tempered expectations, cautioning that its overhauled car concept would require time to unlock its full potential. However, the team was left stunned after ending up slowest at the opening race in Bahrain, with the A524 discovered to be overweight and uncompetitive.
Since then, Alpine has made significant strides, introducing a lighter chassis to meet the minimum weight limit, with Esteban Ocon scoring a point in Miami and Gasly taking 10th in Monaco. Despite these improvements, the Anglo-French marque still lags behind its competitors in the lower midfield region, as other teams have implemented developments in recent races.
Gasly remains unperturbed, citing Alpine’s plan to introduce an upgrade package that will provide a significant edge over its rivals. “I’ve always said I’ve seen a lot of positive changes in the background in the team where I definitely think we’ve made a step forward in many areas, which unfortunately doesn’t translate on the track because of you know, the car which is not that… the concept which is not providing the performance that we had hoped for,” he explained.
The French driver emphasized the need for patience, stating that the team doesn’t want to bring minor updates that may not yield the desired results. “Unfortunately at the moment we’ve got to be patient because we don’t want to bring something to make a minimal change on the track which still won’t be enough to fight for the positions we want, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer, but then at some point, we know that we’ll come with a package which we hope will give us that edge to finally fight for more relevant positions.”
Alpine’s disappointing start to the season has led to significant changes behind the scenes, including the adoption of a three-pronged technical arrangement, similar to McLaren’s approach. Gasly expressed confidence in the team’s structure and personnel, citing their determination to turn the team’s fortunes around.
“In terms of structure, I see a lot of positives,” he added. “The mentality, you’re really challenging people when as a team, after seven races, you’re [on a] single point in the championship, it’s tough on everyone. It’s tough on drivers, it’s tough on mechanics, on engineers, people back in Enstone, in Viry, and the reaction I’m seeing from all these people, they definitely have a very strong will of changing and knowing that we’ve got the tools and the abilities, whether it’s in the technical staff or in the tools that we have to make a change.”
Gasly refused to comment on his future with Alpine beyond 2024, but reiterated his desire to “fight for better positions“. The former Red Bull driver also acknowledged that the team will soon need to make a definitive decision regarding the car concept it adopted during the winter.
“I’m obviously looking and pushing the guys in all the different areas that I can as a driver because the target is coming for all of us,” he expressed. “No one is enjoying the position we are in at the moment. But yeah, I must say I’m seeing that motivation. I’m seeing that reaction, I’m seeing that, you know, definitely a positive attitude in a tough situation for all of us.”
With the Formula 1 calendar reaching its midpoint, all eyes will be on Alpine to see if they can deliver on their promise of a significant leap forward in performance. As the team continues to work tirelessly behind the scenes, Gasly’s words will serve as a motivation to push for a turnaround in their fortunes.
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