Good last qualifying in Bahrain, a disastrous start for Alpine

A difficult weekend for Alpine. On this first day of qualifying, the two French cars were placed in 19th and 20th position on the starting grid. “It’s possible that we’ll suffer,” Bruno Famin, the new director of Alpine, declared on France Bleu radio. This announcement makes sense with today’s results.

« We changed everything we could change, the fins, the suspensions, and the aerodynamics […] the single-seaters will be more aggressive,” announced Bruno Famin on February 7 during the presentation of their livery for France Bleu. The single-seaters are intended to erase the disappointments of the previous season, where they finished in 6th place in the constructors’ standings. The ambitions were then clear: to secure the 4th place globally. Bruno Famin, the new team director, had then stated that major modifications had been made, from the design of the fins to suspension settings, through aerodynamics.

These difficulties were confirmed during pre-season testing, free practice sessions, and qualifying. The Alpine A524 appears to be slower and heavier than most of its competitors, which is a concerning sign ahead of tomorrow’s race and for the upcoming Grand Prix events.

Pierre Gasly already had fears

The beginning of the year could be difficult. It will be necessary to be patient and unlock the potential of this car by quickly identifying its weak points, the Rouen driver had already expressed his fears to France Bleu Normandie.

Today’s qualifications were a real disaster. Both Alpines were eliminated in the first session of Q1, condemning Gasly to start in 20th position on the grid, and Esteban Ocon in 19th position. For Esteban Ocon, the priority now is to quickly understand the reasons for these disappointing performances in order to bring solutions quickly: « We must act quickly for the evolutions to arrive promptly. What we will do at the beginning of the season will not be crucial, but the important thing is to see how we can progress »,” he explained to France Bleu.

After the qualifications, Pierre Gasly admitted to Canal+ that the difficulties encountered were expected: “We had seen this situation coming. The car is not responding as we had hoped. Unfortunately, we are in this situation. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we must do our best with what we have.” His teammate later declared that the car was not fast enough at the top speed.

Esteban Ocon wants to keep his spirits up

On the radio, after this difficult result, Esteban Ocon advocated optimism: “Only the first one, we keep moving forward and giving our all. There’s still a race tomorrow. I believe in you guys.”

This message shows a united team that seems to be under significant pressure. The team is tense, and the recent management changes over the past 6 months have not yet created a calm environment. The underperformance related to a new concept that is still not understood does not help, but Esteban Ocon, as the most publicized person alongside Pierre Gasly, must stand firm.

Uncertain objectives

For Bruno Famin, the ambitious goal of achieving fourth place now seems to be a distant objective: “We do not announce big plans. We must keep our feet on the ground while still having ambitions. In this sport, there are no longer small teams,” he expressed to FranceTV’s microphone.

This delicate situation also risks compromising the future of the two Norman drivers of Alpine, whose contracts are coming to an end at the end of the season. Additionally, Lewis Hamilton’s announced departure from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025 hints at a lively transfer market in the months to come.

Tomorrow at 4pm, the first race of the season will take place. The Alpine team hopes to climb back up in the Bahrain Grand Prix standings, in order to avoid finishing last in the race.