Alpine has unveiled its contender for the 2024 Formula 1 season, the A524, at a presentation event at the team’s Enstone headquarters on Wednesday. After taking advantage of the recent regulation overhaul to secure fourth place in 2022, Alpine slipped to sixth in the Constructors’ Championship last year. Despite achieving podium finishes with both drivers, Alpine scored 53 points fewer than the previous season and was overtaken by Aston Martin and McLaren. Alpine had initially made significant progress with the introduction of ground effect cars but struggled to maintain that momentum and reached a plateau with its A523 model. The team experienced a turbulent start to the previous campaign, resulting in a restructuring of the management team before the summer break. Otmar Szafnauer stepped down as Team Principal due to a disagreement with the Renault board over the timeline for success, while long-serving Sporting Director Alan Permane left his position and joined the rebranded RB side as Racing Director. Bruno Famin took on the role of Interim Team Principal, which now seems to have become permanent, and Julian Rouse, the Alpine Academy Director, was appointed as Interim Sporting Director. Meanwhile, former CEO Laurent Rossi assumed a different role within the company, and Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry departed to join Williams. Technical Director Matt Harman revealed towards the end of last season that Alpine had prioritized a wider operating range with a completely new car design from front to back. The team’s latest livery continues the recent tradition of combining partner BWT’s distinctive pink with the brand’s iconic blue. These two colors will be incorporated into a carbon base in collaboration with artist Felipe Pantone, bringing a fresh and unique vision to the car’s design.
“The team experienced a tumultuous 2023 season,” Famin expressed. “However, it served as a wake-up call for us to improve our overall team dynamics. In the second half of the season, we implemented changes to the trackside team’s operations, resulting in immediate and noticeable success.
“Our goal now is to extend this positive dynamic to the entire Alpine Racing team, starting 2024 with a strong and proactive approach to maintaining high standards and operational excellence.
Fortunately, Alpine enters 2024 with a stable driver line-up, consisting of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who will continue their partnership for a second consecutive year.
Ocon has a previous connection with the team, having served as Renault’s test driver in 2016 before joining full-time in 2020 after a year-long hiatus.
On the other hand, Alpine managed to secure Gasly from the Red Bull stable, after losing Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin and Oscar Piastri to McLaren. Gasly’s debut season with the team showed promise, culminating in a third-place finish at Zandvoort on his 28th birthday, coinciding with Alpine’s launch.”
