Pierre Gasly is hopeful that Alpine introduce more upgrades to improve their performance.
Gasly makes no secret that Alpine are in a difficult situation, albeit one that is salvageable through further upgrades. The Enstone-based team is experiencing its worst start to a season in recent memory, failing to score points in five rounds. The A524 began 2024 with a variety of serious weaknesses, including a lack of horsepower and limited downforce. Combined with being several kilograms overweight, the situation became very serious quickly.
Team principal Bruno Famin warned in the February launch that it might be a tricky start to the season. However, it is unlikely that anyone predicted the A524 to be the slowest car in Bahrain. With Haas making significant progress and a top-five team establishing itself, the French outfit finds itself on the defensive.
On a more positive note, the team showed encouraging signs in Shanghai. A series of upgrades were introduced for the first F1 Sprint weekend of 2024, albeit only for Esteban Ocon’s car. Alpine was far more competitive in qualifying and the race.
Both drivers made Q3 in Saturday qualifying, whilst Ocon was only a few seconds away from the points. With a few more retirements from the front-runners, Team Enstone could have come away with solid points in China.
Gasly admits upgrades are not enough
Despite this progress, Pierre Gasly makes clear that more progress is necessary:
“We came 13th, quite close to Hulkenberg in P10, [and] managed to get some nice overtakes and good battles on track,” he said post-race.
“There’s still a few things to improve. I think [what’s] most important is the upgrades work, so it brings us a bit closer.
“There’s still a lot of work ahead of us – because we’re still not competitive enough. But at least it’s a step in the right direction.”
Pierre Gasly will receive Alpine’s latest upgrades in Miami, which is another Sprint race weekend. This presents the Grand Prix winner with an opportunity to inch closer to his first points of 2024.
Still, if Alpine are to establish themselves as a top team, there is a long road ahead. As the season develops, the capacity at Enstone to improve their situation mid-season will be exposed.
