Pierre Gasly believes that despite the disappointing performances of the Enstone team, looking back Alpine made the right decision to field a completely new car for the 2024 season.
Alpine finished sixth in the F1 constructors’ rankings in 2023, down from fourth in 2022. As a result, the French team decided to halt development of the A523 and pursue a new concept in 2024.
But good results in the first half of the season were rare, and a major overhaul of Alpine’s technical department shortly after the season-opener in Bahrain added complexity to the mid-season development of a car whose design was overseen by engineers no longer with the team (technical director Matt Harmon and aerodynamics chief Dirk de Beer).
Despite the challenges and hardships, Gasly believes the long-term benefits of creating new designs outweigh the short-term difficulties.
“I think it has to do with performance. Last year the team felt they were done with the car concept,” Gasly said. Motorsport.com.
“When we missed our target, they said, ‘Do you want to go through another year knowing that we’re going to stay where we are?’ And they said, ‘We want more, so let’s try something else.’
“I think it was the right choice. We are not in Formula 1 to be satisfied with sixth place in the constructors’ championship.”
While the team’s current position is far from ideal, Gasly is optimistic. He believes the improved car provides a stronger foundation for the future.
“Unfortunately, the car concepts we put out this year haven’t quite panned out the way they should have, but I still think the team is operating at a much better level now than when I came in,” he said.
The real test of Alpine’s gamble will come in the remaining races of 2024 and, more importantly, in the 2025 season. If the new car design proves to be a significant improvement, the difficulties in early 2024 will be a small price to pay for a more competitive future.
“So it’s important to apply that performance to a car, and of course it’s not easy,” he added.
“But I know we’ve got a good direction for next season that’s going to make us a better place, and with that kind of process and people and what they’ve built and continue to build, I feel like it’s going to be a good outcome.”
