The more time you spend around F1, the more you appreciate the often brutal honesty of drivers and team members. In contrast to other sports such as the NFL, where players and coaches often keep their cards close to the vest, F1 drivers and team principals have a lot of information on where they are and what they need to do to improve. is often made completely clear.
Are any teams being pretty honest about where they stand heading into the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix? Takayama. The team was stuck in the middle of the grid a season ago, fast enough to avoid challenges from Williams and other bottom-place teams but too far off the pace to put pressure on Aston Martin and McLaren ahead. Ta. .
Looking ahead to the 2024 season, Alpine has revealed that the start of the year could be uphill.
“We are looking forward to the start of the F1 racing season in Bahrain this weekend. We had three productive days of testing here last week, where we continued to learn and progress on the A524,” said Team Principal Bruno Famine said at the team’s media preview. “We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy start to the season. Embracing these challenges is all part of F1 racing and we can all work hard on developing the A524 in the coming weeks and months. It is important.”
Like McLaren a season ago, Alpine has already hinted at mid-season developments to improve its 2024 challenger, the A524. Famine says the team has a good foundation with his A524 and has been given the opportunity to improve the car throughout the season.
“The car has a good base and we can and will develop it throughout the season,” added Famin. “It has been great to see the team come together and reach various milestones in recent weeks and months, culminating in putting the car on track last week. That hard work will continue to keep us moving forward.”
As for the drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly both understand that their expectations need to be “realistic” but have already shown some improvements to the A524 in pre-season testing. is being watched.
“The test sessions in Bahrain were invaluable and we learned a lot about the new car and its characteristics. The car improved from the first day to the last day of testing, so we look forward to seeing similar improvements throughout the race weekend. I look forward to it,” Ocon said. “We know what we are working towards for the season opener and we need to get the most out of our package to have the best chance of getting something out of the weekend. there is.”
“Last week we had a very busy three days of testing. We just focused on ourselves and did it ourselves. [program] We did a lot of testing and learned a lot more about the overall package of the car without much stress,” added Gasly. “We expect it will take some time to get the performance we want from this car, but given that it is a new concept, that is not surprising. I am remaining realistic. We know it’s not an easy start for you, but the most important thing is to continue to identify your key areas of work, learn and progress.”
The team also shared a video of Gasly driving the Bahrain Grand Prix in the simulator, so if you want to get a feel for the circuit the grid will be tackling this weekend, you can ride with the alpine driver here.
Alpine may be hoping for a McLaren-like rise this year, following the same path its rivals took a season ago. He pointed out that McLaren struggled during testing last year and needed some upgrades to the MCL60 on its way to the top. The team achieved these achievements throughout the season, leading McLaren to a fourth place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.
Can Alpine follow that path? Only time will tell, but they will get their first crack at it this weekend in Bahrain.
