Pierre Gasly calls upon Alpine to eliminate their unforced errors
Unconvinced by the other options in this year’s market, Pierre Gasly opted to sign a contract extension with Alpine. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, the Enstone-based team continues to struggle. Both from a performance and structural standpoint, there is a long road ahead for Alpine.
Of course, there have been moments of promise for Alpine scattered throughout the season.
Alpine scored points at four consecutive events between Monaco and Austria, unlocking more performance from the A524.
A combination of upgrades and weight-saving measures were a welcome boost for the team.
However, there is still a significant gap to the likes of Aston Martin, VCARB and Haas.
This is without even mentioning the likes of McLaren, who were Alpine’s rivals only eighteen months ago.
Gasly unhappy with operational efficiency
Speaking after a frustrating Belgian GP, Pierre Gasly was candid about the need for improvement:
“These are things we must review, as I know we can do a lot better as a team.
“In recent weeks we have not been good enough and we must do better when we return to racing after the summer break.
“It’s been a tough first part of the season for us.
“But I’m pleased with some of the things we are bringing to the car.
“We must keep finding further improvements to the car and come back hungrier to do better.”
Gasly is certainly aware that big points hauls will be difficult to come by, at least in the short term.
Fighting at the lower end of the top 10 is likely what the remainder of 2024 and 2025 have in store.
However, this does not mean Alpine should give away opportunities – especially as they scrap in the lower midfield battle.
The 28-year-old faces the challenge of leading the French squad through this turbulent period.
With Jack Doohan expected to become his teammate, Gasly will become the reference at Enstone.
Doubts inevitably accompany Alpine’s potential in F1, so eliminating unnecessary mistakes is a good first step to improving the team’s situation.
