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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> was far more competitive in qualifying and the race.<\/p>\n Both drivers made Q3 in Saturday qualifying, whilst Ocon<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n