The 2024 F1 season got off to a difficult start for Alpine.
But that same season is poised to come to an incredible end.
The team started the year from the back of the grid, with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly squeezing out the back row at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. However, the most notable progress came in the second half of the season, when the same duo achieved an astonishing double podium finish at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Ocon finished second and Gasly third in the Grand Prix, with Gasly adding another two points thanks to a seventh place finish in the Brazilian F1 sprint race, which propelled the team to sixth place in the F1 Constructors' Championship and a position they remained in until the end. raised. From the 9th.
Thanks to strong qualifying sessions from both drivers, the team is poised for another solid result at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Although Ocon made it to Q2, he narrowly missed out on making it to Q3 and will start from 11th.
“For me, I'm very happy with today's qualifying lap. It's disappointing to miss out on qualifying for Q3 by just a tenth of a second, but we'll start from 11th and will Let's fight for points,'' Ocon said in the team's media coverage after qualifying. “It will be interesting to see how the tire deterioration affects tomorrow's race result. I hope it opens the door to a good opportunity for us to move forward. It was a struggle but we are working hard to improve and tomorrow we will do everything we can to use the tires and make the most of the opportunity.Last year we were able to do that from the back of the grid so it was a good result for us as a team. I am confident that I can leave a mark.”
But the big story was Gasly's performance. He entered Q3 and when the dust finally settled late Friday night in Las Vegas, Gasly was scheduled to start in third place on the second row, just behind pole-sitter George Russell.
“I'm very happy to be in the top three today,” Gasly said. “This lap felt unbelievable and when you crossed the line you knew everything was being thrown at you. I never expected to be in the top three, but really I was surprised. This track is all about margin, low downforce, lots of slippage and tricky, but I had a lot of fun there too. I had a new set of softs for Q3, so it was like a last lap shot and I got a lot of adrenaline. And I'm really happy to be able to put it together.
“We'll give our best tomorrow, but we know how the race will go. It's a tough race for tire deterioration and graining. It cost us a lot in this race last year, so we have to keep improving. We've worked hard as a team to figure that out, but we'll have to work harder to be ready tonight. We'll try to get points tomorrow.”
Team principal Oliver Oakes, who joined the team during the summer break, paid tribute to both drivers, praising Gasly's “flawless” performance.
“This weekend looked competitive from the start, especially in these cool conditions,” Oakes said. However, this field is very competitive and the margins are very narrow, so you won't know where you will place until you qualify. Pierre did a perfect job of getting the car into the second row, which put us in a good position for tomorrow's race. It's encouraging to be in Q3 again for the fourth year in a row, but you never know what will happen in the race and the points will be awarded tomorrow. “Esteban missed the final part of qualifying in 11th place, so our aim is to have both cars in the points tomorrow.As with last year, we expect conditions to be difficult with the drop in temperatures and tire management. We need to analyze how to make the most of our strategies.”
Alpine moved up to 6th place in the constructors' championship at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Another “perfect” night in Las Vegas could see them take a big step toward staying there.
