Pierre Gasly Backs Alpine’s Decision to Revamp F1 Car Concept Amid Disappointing Season
In a recent interview with Autosport, Pierre Gasly voiced his understanding and support for Alpine’s decision to overhaul its Formula 1 car concept this year, despite the team’s current struggles.
Alpine, which finished fourth in the constructors’ championship in 2022, opted to abandon further development of the A523 and instead focus on a new concept for the A524. However, this bold move has yet to pay off, with the team languishing in eighth place in the championship with only 11 points scored.
Gasly believes that the decision to revamp the car concept was justified, citing the team’s desire to push beyond their previous limitations. “I think it’s performance-related. Last year the team felt that it got to the end of the development with their car concept,” Gasly explained. “As we missed our targets, they’re like, ‘do we want to go for another year where we know we’ll probably be stuck to where we are?’ And they said, we want more than that, so, we’ll try something else.”
The French driver emphasized that Alpine’s ambitions extend far beyond simply finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship. “Which to me, I think was the right choice. We’re not in Formula 1 to be satisfied with the sixth place in the constructors’.”
Although Alpine’s current form has been disappointing, Gasly remains optimistic about the team’s future prospects. He expressed confidence in the work being done at Enstone and believes that the team’s processes and people will ultimately yield improvements.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t pay out with the directions that you know they took with the car concept we have this year, but nonetheless, I still think the way the team’s operating is at a better level than when I arrived,” Gasly said. “So, it’s a matter of bringing that performance onto the car, which is obviously not easy, but I know we’ve got good directions already for next season, which will put us in a better place and with the sort and processes and the people and what they’ve built and kept working, I can feel that there’ll be something good coming out of it.”
As the Formula 1 season enters its second half, Gasly’s comments will serve as a boost to Alpine’s morale. The team will be looking to turn their fortunes around and close the gap to their rivals, with their sights set on a stronger finish to the season and a more competitive showing in 2025.
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