Alpine has broken the deadlock" in 2024
The French team was one of the surprises at the end of the season. However, things had started badly for the team. At the start of the season, the team was even in a deadlock, according to Executive Director David Sanchez.
An end of the season that gives hope for 2025? After the first Grand Prix, no one could have imagined that Alpine would later manage to place both of its cars on the podium. Yet, this situation indeed happened in Brazil, a highlight for the French team and a symbol of its progress throughout the year. However, the situation was not truly ideal, or even concerning at the start of the season.
Alpine: slowest team in Bahrain...
From the unveiling of the single-seater, the team had explained that the beginning of the season would be challenging due to significant changes to the car and within the organizational structure of the Enstone team. These statements materialized on the Bahrain track during the opening round. In the qualifiers, both drivers finished in the last two positions. It wasn't until the Miami Grand Prix, the sixth race of the season, that they scored their first point, with Esteban Ocon finishing in tenth place.
... But progress during the rest of the season
A strong performance due to several factors. First, a reorganization took place within the team with the appointment of David Sanchez as executive director on May 2. The French engineer marks his return to France after working at Ferrari and McLaren, but above all his return to Alpine after spending three seasons as a junior aerodynamicist from 2005 to 2007.
Secondly, the team based in Enstone installed an update on its single-seater in Florida, including notably the introduction of a new floor. A necessary evolution for a team that seemed to be at an impasse, according to David Sanchez. "The car was not performing because, at the beginning of the year, it was very heavy, and aerodynamically, it was in a sort of impasse," he stated to Autosport. The French engineer wanted to commend the work done by the team, which was able to drastically reduce the weight of the single-seater, a real issue at the start of the season for the French camp.
« Before my arrival, they had done a very good job on weight reduction, that's for sure. The car was again close to the limit, and we completely refocused on aerodynamic development. The chassis and the car's weight were an issue, and the aerodynamic characteristics were another. So combined, it didn't make for a good start to the year. The chassis was fixed, the weight was regained, and now it seems we have recovered most of the aerodynamics. »
Results that remain nevertheless insufficient for Alpine's ambitions
Comments that resonated on the track as Alpine scored 54 points after the summer break, more than any other team except the four leading teams. Ultimately sixth in the constructors' championship with 64 points, the French team finished the season very well. However, this does not satisfy David Sanchez, who wants to aim even higher for the team led by Oliver Oakes. "I think we are returning to a reasonable level, but it's not... I wouldn't say it's where the team should be, because if you have the right people and the infrastructure, where should you aim?" questioned the Frenchman.
« I think some teams are satisfied with probably staying in the middle of the pack. That's not where we want to be. We have the resources to be competitive. So for now, let's say we've caught up from the bad start to the year. Now, we just need to keep going, progress, and improve. » This room for improvement observed at the end of the season nonetheless brings a glimmer of hope for the team's future. Now it remains to confirm this starting this season.
