Alpine F1 is focused on developing its 2024 car, with a clear belief that taking an independent route is the best option.
When Alpine unveiled the A523 in February, they outlined P4 as their annual objective. In short, the French outfit wanted to solidify itself as the ‘best of the rest’ and close the gap to the front – without committing itself to an overly ambitious goal.
However, even with these moderate expectations, Team Enstone found itself disappointed in Bahrain. Aston Martin comprehensively out-developed them over winter, and McLaren did the same mid-season. Not only were Alpine relegated to 6th overall, but their failure to disrupt the front-runners was further exposed.
Seemingly eternally in the midfield, Alpine F1 is struggling to find results or consistency. Whether it was Laurent Rossi’s criticisms after a slow start or the subsequent firing of Otmar Szafnauer, there has been no shortage of drama at Alpine.
Alpine opt for innovation, not imitation
With just two years left before the regulations change, time is running out. Reflecting on the last twelve months, technical director Matt Harman explained Alpine’s approach for the winter break:
“It’s really important to be inspired. But if you keep imitaitng something, you’ll never move forward,” motorsport-total quoted him as saying.
“That means we can get inspiration – but we have to go our own way.
“Becauseif you arrive with a car that is current today, it will be out of date in 2025. So you have to think two years into the future.”
Harman outlines a generally accepted truth in Formula 1, which is that imitation cannot lead to victory. Red Bull’s substantial advantage makes it logical to try and emulate its strengths, but this cannot be done without innovating.
This is where Alpine must prove itself over winter and make meaningful progress. The A523 suffered from a limited window of optimum performance, which restricted the team’s set-up options.
Another issue is the Renault engine, which is still a few steps behind other power units. Not only is raw horsepower a concern, but electrical efficiency is a significant weakness compared to the likes of Honda.
Regulatory restrictions prevent Alpine F1 from completely eliminating this problem, but they must – regardless – find solutions before 2024 begins.
