Alpine have had the worst possible start to their 2024 season as they have failed to claim a point after the two races that have concluded so far. Their issues were further complicated after two prominent names left the team recently. Amid Alpine’s poor form, Pierre Gasly instilled fresh hopes by revealing that his side has some recovery plans in place.
He stated in the interview with F1 that he’s ready to seize any opportunity coming his way and that will not change even if he’s not in a position to fight for points. He then also revealed, without providing much details, that in the meantime the team will do their best to recover from the slump.
The Alpine driver said, “The car’s gonna be the same as Jeddah and Bahrain, we know. We’re not gonna be in a position to really fight at the front, but then we got some testing plan to understand a bit more about our car.”
Esteban – P13
Pierre – DNF pic.twitter.com/ETZIlCsHvE— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) March 9, 2024
The last time Alpine raced at Albert Park, they did not have a good Grand Prix as the two teammates collided with each other. Following the race restart, Gasly and Esteban Ocon steered themselves clear of the chaos at turn 1, but their journey was cut short as the duo took each other out shortly after.
Ocon hit the sidepod of Gasly’s A523, resulting in an immediate crash against the barrier. Gasly still does not seem to have forgotten the incident as he also remembered it in his recent interview. The two have been bitter rivals since childhood, having fought multiple battles ever since their go-kart days.
What has presumably resulted in Alpine’s downfall?
Alpine brought in Pierre Gasly as a replacement for Fernando Alonso at the beginning of last season. However, their decision for Gasly to partner with childhood rival Esteban Ocon did not impress most experts and the media as they pointed out the consequences the team could face.
They were of the opinion that Gasly and Ocon were fiercest rivals during their go-kart days and bringing them together in the same team would destabilize the side. However, for former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, this was not a cause of concern.
Szafnauer assured his team that he would be able to manage both drivers and run the side smoothly. Despite this, Szafnauer did not get to stay back for long to manage them in Alpine. Following Szafnauer’s dismissal, the exodus began and that hasn’t stopped since.
Along with Szafnauer, Alpine also fired CEO Laurent Rossi and Sporting Director Alan Permane in 2023. Meanwhile, Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry left the team for Williams. Coming into 2024, Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer have also left the team after the team’s poor show in Bahrain.
