Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon currently find themselves piloting the least competitive car on the grid, as Alpine struggles with issues stemming from its new design approach.
Gasly openly acknowledges the shortcomings of Alpine’s new concept, admitting that it has fallen short of expectations and left the team languishing at the bottom of the hierarchy.
Alpine, having concluded the 2023 constructors’ championship in sixth place, took a daring leap with its latest model, the A524. However, this bold move has yielded unfavorable results, as the car suffers from excess weight and lacks the necessary power to compete effectively.
As the team gears up for the upcoming race in China, they are yet to secure a single point, painting a bleak picture for the Enstone-based outfit.
The current predicament facing the French team is dire, with Gasly acknowledging that a significant breakthrough is needed to reverse their fortunes and elevate them from what he describes as the “second league.”
Reflecting on the situation, Gasly expressed to the media the necessity for substantial improvements, stating, “I think in the mid-term we need a big thing to improve this car now, this sort of car concept doesn’t live up to what we expected.
“But in the meantime, everything we can chip away, every single weekend will get us closer to potentially point finishing at some point.
“At the moment we’re clearly at the back of that sort of like second league, every every single tenth we can get as soon as possible will make a difference.”
Esteban Ocon has been transparent about the challenges facing the A524, acknowledging its faults “everywhere,” according to the Frenchman.
Despite being 27 years old, Ocon has shown stronger performances than Gasly this season and seems to be adapting better to the car. However, he too recognizes the need for improvements across all aspects of the vehicle.
“I think it’s a little bit everywhere, to be honest,” Ocon reiterated to the media, highlighting the widespread nature of the issues with the car.
“At the moment, there’s a lot of big details which we are struggling in, and I don’t think they are like super weaknesses or super good points. I think it’s quite average everywhere, I would say, and that’s where we need to keep on digging and keep on pushing for sure.”
