Alpine Racing has been one of the most inconsistent teams this season. Let us look at the highs and lows for the team in 2023.
A poor performance last weekend in Monza is only one of many disappointing races for Alpine. This team has fallen way below their expectations coming into this season and has not shown signs of life other than their two unforeseen podiums. Alpine is 6th in this year’s Constructor’s Championship and is 42 points behind 5th place McLaren. Prior to the season, Alpine was projected to challenge midfield teams much more competitively. Here is Alpine’s season recap so far:
Oscar Piastri Snubs Alpine
The 2023 story for the French team started halfway through 2022. When Alpine Academy driver (now McLaren driver), Oscar Piastri was set to join Alpine after the departure of Fernando Alonso prior to the 2023 season. The team announced that Piastri would join the driver lineup, but Piastri quickly denied the announcement and said that he would not drive for Alpine. This dominated the headlines during the off season. His decision shocked the F1 world. Alpine felt betrayed by their academy driver and had to look to others to fill their second seat.
I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2, 2022
Pierre Gasly Replaces Alonso
In Alpine’s search for a new driver after Piastri chose McLaren, the team chose the AlphaTauri star, Pierre Gasly. Gasly is the most accomplished AlphaTauri driver in history with a race win and two podiums. He is the only driver to reach a step on the podium since the team’s establishment in 1985. Considering Alpine’s situation, Gasly was the best option and had many fans believing that they would see the team succeed in 2023.
Alpine’s Rollercoaster Season
The team has secured two unlikely podiums this season. Their drivers have put in some fantastic performances, but have lacked the consistency needed to challenge the other midfield teams. Both Gasly and Esteban Ocon have secured p3 finishes for the team. The drivers secured podiums in both Zandvoort and Monaco. Alpine currently only has 73 points this season. 30 of those points come from only two races. Taking away those two podiums, the team is only averaging around 3.9 points per race. This is the same team who finished p4 last season with 173 points. So what has happened to them this season?
The team got off to a very slow start this season which ultimately resulted in them firing team principal, Otmar Szafnauer. They have had some extremely poor races, most recently in Monza and a double DNF in Hungary. To add insult to injury, Esteban Ocon has been the most penalized driver in Formula 1 history. He now holds the record for the most time penalties given in a single race. He broke the record in Austria with a staggering 5 time penalties. The record was previously held by none other than himself when he was given 3 time penalties in Bahrain in the first race of the season.
The team cannot seem to gain any traction because as soon as they put in great results, the next race is followed by misfortune. Their podiums cannot cover up what has been overall a very disappointing season for the French team.
Looking Forward for Alpine
The driver lineup that Alpine has assembled is extremely solid. Both drivers have proven themselves to be great drivers, but they need to showcase more consistency. The next step for the team is to appoint a new team boss. There are multiple reports that claim that ex-Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto has agreed to captain the team for next season. Whether these rumors are true or not remains to be seen.
No matter what happens to Alpine, they need good performances to end their 2023 campaign to give them momentum for next season. They will work to close the gap to McLaren and aim to challenge for p5.
