Japanese GP: Alpine Likely to Bring First Upgrades in Attempt to Overcoming Disappointing Start to the Season

Do you recall how Esteban Ocon celebrated on the radio after not getting knocked out in Q1 during the Australian GP qualifying? He just went on to show the shambles that the French team is in. But now, Alpine has a little ray of hope, as the team is believed to be bringing the first set of upgrades to the Japanese GP. Let’s have a look at what the other driver, Pierre Gasly had to say about them. 

Alpine had a lonely 2023 F1 season as they finished 6th in the constructors championship. The French stable was nowhere near the pace of the top 5 teams but was well above the bottom 3 teams in terms of performance. The 2023 season was a step down from the 2022 season in terms of performance. 2023 also saw Otmar Szafnauer let go by the team amid other changes at Alpine.

And now, in 2024, the car is nothing short of shambles. It is believed that the car is well over the weight limit but also, the engine is down on power compared to its competitors. This resulted in the Alpine team not scoring a single point in the season so far. Pierre Gasly however, is hopeful that the upgrades that the team is bringing to Japan will help with the pace, and move the team up in the performance ladder.

According to Motorsport, Pierre Gasly said, “It will be a step ahead of the situation we are in now, at the moment we need every single update possible to improve performance. So that’s positive. I know that more will come later. But I believe that at the moment it is mainly a matter of trying to understand what the big picture is, whether to stay true to the concept we have or try to change course.”

Amid this poor start, Alpine decided to change the structure and appoint 3 technical directors to the team.

Alpine appoints 3 Technical Directors to replace Matt Harman and Dirk de Beer

Alpine’s Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer decided to leave the team earlier this month. To replace them, Alpine introduced a three-pillar approach with three roles: Technical Director (Performance), Technical Director (Aerodynamics), and Technical Director (Engineering). Joe Burnell will be the Technical Director (Engineering), David Wheater will be the Technical Director (Aerodynamics), and Ciaron Pilbeam will be the Technical Director (Performance).

Team Principal Bruno Famin said, “The new three-pillared structure with three Technical Directors, each specializing in different areas, will bring better work and collaboration across our technical areas and contribute to delivering performance from the factories to the race track. I trust fully in the abilities of Joe, David and Ciaron to work closely together in bringing the team the performance and improvements that it needs.”

Read More: Lewis Hamilton Makes His Stance Clear on Unrest Within Red Bull

Where do you think Alpine will finish this season? Will they be able to compete in the midfield this season or finish at the back?