Alpine are currently sixth in the Constructors’ Championship standings, with Haas hot on their tail.
The French team will be aiming to maintain their position as the season finale – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – begins.
Alpine aim to end 2024 strong with new lineup
Alpine starts its new chapter in Abu Dhabi much earlier than the other teams.
Its 2025 driver lineup, consisting of the experienced Pierre Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan will be in the final race of the 2024 season.
How Did Alpine Fare in 2023 Abu Dhabi GP?
Their 2023 season was clouded with plenty of challenges involving frequent changes in management. Hence, Alpine ended up delivering a lacklustre performance to conclude the year.
For that particular round, there were no upgrades to bring along and both drivers began the round on Medium tyres.
At the opening lap, Pierre Gasly‘s rise to eighth place and Esteban Ocon‘s P11 looked promising for the team. This sparked a chance for the top ten. However, the encouragement died down after Gasly’s contact with Lewis Hamilton on Lap 15.
The substantial damage due to the contact greatly affected the aerodynamic performance of his A523. Gasly had to opt for a two-stop strategy for Hards.
On the other hand, Ocon had a decent run. He managed to pit for Hards on a one-stop strategy.
Esteban Ocon ended the Grand Prix just two places away from the points in P12. This was the same as his qualifying result. Pierre Gasly finished behind his teammate in P13.
They saw a reverse of these results in the Drivers’ Standings. Gasly led the French duo in 12th, while Ocon fell behind in 13th.
Another disappointing year it had been for the Enstone-based outfit. Thus, the team instead set their focus on the 2024 machinery.
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What to Expect From Alpine at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP
Currently in a comfortable sixth place in the Constructors’ Standings, Alpine face the threats of Haas and VCARB to snatch it from the French, especially Haas who are only five points away.
Alpine certainly has its ups and downs this season, but the last four races have shown some decent progress.
Both Alpines had the chance to experience being in the top five on several occasions, with Interlagos being the most memorable one.
As for Gasly, he aims to finish the 2024 season on a high. Only a point away from P10 in the Drivers’ Standings, he hopes to take over Nico Hulkenberg’s place and finally make an appearance in the top ten.
Jack Doohan, who was initially called on for only FP1, has been selected to race for the entire weekend. This meant that he gained an advantage over his fellow 2025 rookies to debut in Formula One by a race weekend early.
The former Alpine reserve is also well-acquainted with the circuit, given the fact that he won the final Formula 2 Feature Race back in 2023 in Yas Marina.
After five years with the French squad, the F1 community saw Esteban Ocon in an abrupt Alpine exit as the team immediately decuded to debut their next year’s driver lineup in the Yas Marina Circuit.
While many in the paddock viewed this departure as shocking and unfortunate, this provided an opportunity for both Ocon and Doohan to familiarise themselves with their respective new environments much earlier on.
To specify, Ocon will be participating in an end-of-season test with his new team Haas.
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A New Chapter for the Team
Alpine undoubtedly has gone through a long and challenging season thus far. But moments like those from Brazil and Las Vegas show that they have the potential to overturn their misfortunes in the upcoming years.
To achieve consistent results, they may need to find uniformity in their management – steady management typically serves as the backbone of the team.
If they manage to consolidate their sixth place in the Constructors’ rankings, they will repeat the same result as the previous season, although looking back at how they started their 2024 season, P6 will be a tremendous result.
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