Tag: Pierre Gasly

Haas and Alpine primed for tense showdown despite Hulkenberg grid penalty

Nico Hulkenberg has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that drops him behind Pierre Gasly after a pit lane exit infringement in qualifying. Alpine leads Haas by five points in the constructors’ standings as the pair …

Nico Hulkenberg has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that drops him behind Pierre Gasly after a pit lane exit infringement in qualifying.

Alpine leads Haas by five points in the constructors’ standings as the pair fight for sixth place in the final classification, with the difference between positions being worth in the region of $10 million. Hulkenberg impressed with a surprise fourth place in qualifying at the Yas Marina Circuit, but was then hit with the grid penalty for passing a car in the pit exit road, against the race directors’ instructions.

“The driver did not dispute during the hearing that he did not follow the race director’s instructions, but stated that he had no other option but to breach the rules in order to get a lap in,” the stewards’ decision read.

“Whilst the stewards acknowledge that the position of the team’s garages limits their options to send the cars out on track, this can never be used as an excuse to breach any regulations.

“The prohibition of overtaking in certain areas as the pit lane or, in this case, the pit exit, is implemented to prevent potentially dangerous situations and therefore the stewards determine that a grid drop is warranted in this case.”

The penalty promotes Gasly ahead of Hulkenberg from sixth to fifth — with Hulkenberg now seventh — but speaking prior to the penalty the German admitted his qualifying produced a better result than he’d predicted.

“I was expecting a top-10 result for sure, because that’s where we’ve been all weekend and the car felt strong every session pretty much,” Hulkenberg (pictured above) said. “So I kind of knew that was a must-do, but P4 is definitely more than what I expected and hoped for. A very strong session, which goes down to a really strong-performing car and good team effort.”

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Hulkenberg believes he has the car pace to bring home a big haul of points for Haas, but says Alpine will be a threat throughout.

“I think it’s close and going to be a tight and tough battle for sure,” he said. “Alpine’s been strong lately, but we are all so close together so it really comes down to all the racing moments, strategy, etc. It’s just important for me personally that we maximize tomorrow, leave nothing out there and hopefully we can have a happy end tomorrow night.”

Gasly also was impressed with his Alpine’s performance after another top-six result in qualifying.

“It was amazing,” Gasly said. “All through practice outside the top 10 and really struggling with the car, not finding the right balance. We made a lot of changes throughout the whole weekend, a lot of changes before qualifying, which doesn’t bring a lot of confidence because you never really know what you’re going to get out there, but then in the end it was really positive.

“We managed to get the car clicking and put some very strong laps together in Q2 and Q3. Outqualified George [Russell] who was on pole last week, so it just shows how much performance we managed to improve on the car, especially since the start of the year. So very happy.

“Unfortunately for us [Hulkenberg] was very fast as well which keeps the pressure on for tomorrow, but I’m definitely looking forward to the battle.”

The Frenchman suggests there is more pressure on Haas than Alpine given the points situation, and that he will have the car pace to fight with Hulkenberg on Sunday.

“The good thing is we are slightly more relaxed — we are five points ahead of them so they definitely need to finish ahead of us,” he said. “But on the other side I think they’re looking pretty strong. Tomorrow is a very different exercise, a lot of degradation and a lot of graining. I think we will have the car to fight them and battle them, and I’m excited to see what we can get out of it.”

Drivers throw support behind GM F1 entry

A number of the Formula 1 drivers have backed General Motors’ arrival in the sport with the Cadillac brand, with the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen open to future race seat opportunities with the team. F1 announced it is working …

A number of the Formula 1 drivers have backed General Motors’ arrival in the sport with the Cadillac brand, with the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen open to future race seat opportunities with the team.

F1 announced it is working towards GM joining the grid in 2026, whereby the team will run under the Cadillac name and use a customer power unit deal until its own works engine is ready in 2028. Its addition will expand the field to 11 teams and 22 cars, and Lewis Hamilton said it will also provide extra positions for engineers and mechanics as well as drivers. 

“I think it’s great,” Hamilton said. “I’ve always been super supportive of having another team; more cars on the grid. To think of how many more job opportunities that is… I’m so happy to hear that it’s happening.” 

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Hamilton is one of the drivers who has raced in a grid of more than 20 cars in the past – the last year being 2016 when the Manor team was last competing – and Fernando Alonso similarly backed a project that includes some of his former colleagues such as technical director Nick Chester, advisor Pat Symonds and COO Rob White.

“Eleventh team, 22 drivers, it’s not the first time that we will be 22 on the grid,” Alonso said. “It’s a complex decision for the sport in general but if they came to that conclusion it’s because it’s the best for everybody. I will always support whatever management think that is the best.

“For the team personnel, they have a couple of people that were in the Renault days and for sure they will have a huge contribution right now at the very early part of the project, with a lot of experience in Formula 1 and in the sport. So I wish the best of luck. A new team is never an easy task, but I think they will be well prepared and they have the right people.”

For many of the younger drivers it will be the first time they race on a grid of more than 20 F1 cars, and Charles Leclerc said that provides more chances for up-and-coming driving talent, too.

“It’s the first time in my career that I’ll be 22 on the grid in F1, and that’s exciting,” Leclerc said. “I also think that there are lots of young drivers waiting for a place in Formula 1, and that will obviously give more opportunities to very talented young drivers that are dreaming to get into Formula 1. So for that, this is a good thing, and cool to have two more cars on the grid.”

Pierre Gasly echoed Leclerc’s sentiments, and emphasized benefits from a racing spectacle point of view.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “It’s going to be my first time to race with 22 cars in F1. So more rivals, probably more action, more racing. So, exciting times. I think it’s been a long topic for quite a long time. So I’m sure if they came to that conclusion, definitely means it’s the best for the sport. So I’m excited about it.”

But it’s not just young drivers who are excited by the prospect. Bottas is out of a seat at the end of this year and said he has spoken to GM already about his availability for 2026.

“I think that’s just increased the chances of getting a seat for 2026, which ultimately is the goal,” Bottas said. “But if not, then there’s lots of other cool things in other series.

“Yes (I’ve had talks), I think for sure I’m not the only one, but of course, it’s interesting for me, and I think it’s great for F1. Great brand, GM is a big backer behind it so, for sure, it’s an interesting project.”

Magnussen is another who is set to drop off the grid next year, and he has history with the manufacturer after racing a Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac in IMSA in 2021.

“Absolutely, I think it’s exciting to see,” Magnussen said. “It’s a proper competitor coming in, a great name and an OEM who’s going to come in with guns blazing and throw everything at it I’m sure. So it’s exciting for the sport, exciting for the driver market, for the grid.

“You never know of course. I have driven for the factory before in IMSA, it was the factory Cadillac that I drove there, so I know the management, I know the people there. They know me. So you don’t know.”

Along with those more experienced names, Zhou Guanyu – who scored his first points of the season in Qatar on Sunday – has links to the GM entry’s advisory team, and says he’s also looking at the new constructor as a potential opportunity to get back on the grid in just over a year’s time.

“I’m fully aware that GM and also Cadillac joined the grid,” Zhou said. “I think it’s very good for the sport in general because a lot of people are always talking about having not enough seats for the people, the young drivers available. Clearly, I think we have a lot of young drivers for next year. 

“From my position, it’s a great opportunity and a great chance for next season when I’m not having a seat. So I can probably think about what the future will be and try to have an opportunity there. So I’m aware of that.

“But everything was just only announced this week. We still need to go through further details a bit more on that. But for me, my priority is trying to have another chance of coming back on the grid. So for me, I don’t really have where I go, but if there’s a chance to grab, I will absolutely take it.”

‘Very special lap’ for Gasly keeps up Alpine’s run of form

Pierre Gasly says his final lap in Q3 was a special one as he secured third place on the grid for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Alpine scored a shock double-podium at the last race in Brazil, with Gasly third behind teammate Esteban Ocon in second. …

Pierre Gasly says his final lap in Q3 was a special one as he secured third place on the grid for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Alpine scored a shock double-podium at the last race in Brazil, with Gasly third behind teammate Esteban Ocon in second. While that result came in wet conditions, Friday’s qualifying in Las Vegas was in dry and cold temperatures, and Gasly excelled with his final lap putting him in the top three, behind only George Russell and Carlos Sainz.

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“It’s absolutely incredible as a team,” Gasly said. “We started Bahrain on the last row with both cars, and all of a sudden, the last few weeks have been quite a change. I’m really happy and pleased with the work the team has been doing in a season where everything looked impossible, just to still stick together and put some more performance in that car.

“Going into qualifying today, I must admit we never thought we’ll be in a position to actually get in that top three, but I managed to have a very special lap at the right time on that last set in Q3 and it’s a very nice surprise.”

Gasly says Alpine had a clear approach to the Las Vegas Strip Circuit that has paid off so far, and he felt confident in his car’s handling from the start of the first practice session.

“We went with a pretty aggressive package in terms of downforce, so we are running very little downforce around this track,” he explained. “We try to maximize the straight lines; we obviously make our lives slightly harder in the corners.

“I think it’s a challenging track. It’s very cold conditions. It’s quite an outlier in the season. But I had a nice feeling in the car since P1. P2 went well. P3 went well. And then in that Q3, we managed to make it work with only one set of new tires as well.

“So there was definitely some good pace and for now, I’m very pleased. Obviously, it’s only qualifying, but I think it’s probably the first time I qualify in the top three. It feels like it was a special one.”

Gasly has both Red Bulls, both McLarens and Charles Leclerc behind him on the grid, and says he’s not overly focused on holding them at bay as he instead has is eyes on defending Alpine’s sixth place in the constructors’ standings.

“That’s not really what I’m thinking about. I think we know where the target is for us,” he said. “We’re fighting Haas and [RB] in the constructors’. Obviously, whatever happened in that quali is amazing. It feels good to be in front of Max and McLaren and these guys, but at the end of the day, it’s not our fight.

“So we’ll give our best shot tomorrow. It’s a challenging one around here with the graining, so we’ll make sure we do our homework tonight to maximize the chances tomorrow. But for sure, from P3, we increase our chances to get some good points.”

Ocon struggling to believe Alpine’s double Sao Paulo podium is real

Esteban Ocon says he is finding it hard to believe that Alpine’s double podium in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix is reality. Alpine entered Sunday’s race in ninth place in the constructors’ championship on 16 points, one point behind Williams in the …

Esteban Ocon says he is finding it hard to believe that Alpine’s double podium in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix is reality.

Alpine entered Sunday’s race in ninth place in the constructors’ championship on 16 points, one point behind Williams in the standings. In wet conditions, both Ocon and Pierre Gasly excelled as the team also pulled off a brave strategy — running long and benefiting from a red flag — to finish second and third behind Max Verstappen and move up to sixth overall with a 33-point haul.

“I’m not sure that this is a reality or still a dream, but I smell champagne, so I think it is reality,” Ocon said. “It’s been an incredible day. Who would have thought, first of all, that we were going to qualify fourth? We were very, very quick as soon as these conditions poured out today.

“It really levels out the field and it feels great to be just able to fight with other cars, to fight with the guys at the front as well. It shows that we still got it and when there is an opportunity, we are always there to be able to take it.

“We were leading the race at some point. That was a special moment — I was pulling away from Max in that first restart. It was going super well and unfortunately, at the end, the reality check came back and Max was still better than us.

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“It feels extremely great and even greater now because we’ve had a difficult couple of races lately where things didn’t really work the way we wanted for us, but it clearly shows that we’ve still got it when it’s not all about the car and it’s … about driving.”

The result is Ocon’s fifth score of the season, and his previous best finish was a solitary ninth place ahead of three tenths. The Frenchman will leave Alpine at the end of the season and he says the fact he could celebrate with teammate Gasly — who has been a rival since their junior careers — made it extra special.

“It’s not signed off yet; there’s more races to go, three more,” he said. “If that’s the reward, then I’m very happy to call it … the reward. It’s been five years of good moments, more difficult moments of course, but I’m extremely happy and proud of me and Pierre, to be honest. We’ve had our [struggles] at times but it’s been incredible to do that last formation lap.

“A lot of flashbacks came back to my memories when we were racing on the wet in karts when we were young, even on the snow with the slick tires. We were both racing together waiting for the podium or the win to come and today, it tastes a bit like that. A beautiful story from where we’ve come from and that one will stay forever.”

Gasly quickest in final Dutch GP practice as Sargeant’s morning ends in flames

Pierre Gasly topped a severely curtailed wet final practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix after a big Logan Sargeant crash triggered a red flag that absorbed most of the hour. Sargeant was on his fourth lap on intermediate tires on the drying but …

Pierre Gasly topped a severely curtailed wet final practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix after a big Logan Sargeant crash triggered a red flag that absorbed most of the hour.

Sargeant was on his fourth lap on intermediate tires on the drying but treacherously slippery circuit when he lost control of his car exiting the banked left-handed Hugenholtz corner.

The American got too happy on the power too early, putting his foot down with his right-hand tires still on the grass. It sent him spinning across the track and into a big collision with the steel barrier on the outside of the circuit.

The Williams wreckage came to rest in the middle of the track – missing most of its bodywork and its rear-right tire having freed itself – where it dramatically caught fire.

Sargeant, thankfully unhurt, clambered from his car and escaped to safety while marshals tended to the smoldering heap.

Williams expects at least a new chassis will be required if Sargeant is to take part in qualifying later today.

Red flags were deployed with just over 45 minutes on the clock. It took 15 minutes just to get what was left of Sargeant’s car back to pit lane, and barrier repairs soaked up almost the rest of the session.

Race control got final practice back underway with just two minutes on the clock, prompting a frantic rush for pit exit so that drivers could get even a rudimentary feel for conditions in which qualifying could take place later today.

The entire field minus Sargeant and Fernando Alonso piled onto the track, but not everyone was able to set a time in the jockeying for position that followed.

Combined with the conditions, it delivered a classification sheet unrepresentative of the competitive order.

Gasly set the benchmark at 1m 20.311s, beating Kevin Magnussen to the position by 0.139s.

Valtteri Bottas followed ahead of Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Oscar Piastri and Lance Stroll down to eighth.

Nico Hulkenberg was ninth after taking repairs for an unusual crash in the opening 15 minutes. The German speared off the road at Turn 11 on his first lap on intermediates, his tires too happy to lock up on the application of the brakes.

“It’s again the same as yesterday, I touched the brake and I lock up,” Hulkenberg said, recalling his FP2 crash triggered by a locked rear axle that sent him into the barriers.

Carlos Sainz, having missed most of FP2 with a gearbox issue, completed just six laps on his way to 10th, leaving him down on mileage ahead of qualifying.

Zhou Guanyu was 11th ahead of the crashed Sargeant, George Russell, Alex Albon, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo down to 18th.

Verstappen was shown a black-and-white flag in the final minutes of the session for crossing the white line on pit exit as he attempted to pass cars for position as the clock ticked down.

Neither Yuki Tsunoda nor Sergio Perez set a lap time at the bottom of the classification.

Gasly to take grid penalty at Silverstone over PU limits

Pierre Gasly will start from the back of the grid at this weekend’s British Grand Prix due to exceeding the maximum number of power unit components allowed per season. The Alpine driver has already taken a fifth internal combustion engine (ICE), …

Pierre Gasly will start from the back of the grid at this weekend’s British Grand Prix due to exceeding the maximum number of power unit components allowed per season.

The Alpine driver has already taken a fifth internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K — exceeding the limit of four — as well as a third control electronics that is outside the maximum permitted two. With more than a 15-place grid penalty in total, the regulations state that Gasly must start from the back of the grid.

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The Frenchman is on a run of four consecutive point-scoring finishes for Alpine stretching back to his 10th place in the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing ninth in Canada and Spain and tenth again last weekend in Austria.

Gasly is the first driver to take a grid penalty for exceeding power unit components so far this season, with Alpine opting to do so at Silverstone due to the fact it’s a power-sensitive track. The weather forecast has also been taken into account, with rain impacting Friday’s track running and more showers expected at different stages on Saturday and Sunday.

Gasly confirmed at Alpine for 2025 on multi-year extension

Pierre Gasly will remain with the Alpine Formula 1 team into 2025 and beyond after signing a multi-year contract extension with the French constructor. Alpine has had a poor 2024 so far and with both drivers out of contract at the end of the season, …

Pierre Gasly will remain with the Alpine Formula 1 team into 2025 and beyond after signing a multi-year contract extension with the French constructor.

Alpine has had a poor 2024 so far and with both drivers out of contract at the end of the season, there was a chance it would be looking for a completely new lineup. While Esteban Ocon will leave at the end of the year, the 28-year-old Gasly — who has had three straight point-scoring results — has announced he’s extended his contract with the team he joined at the start of 2023.

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“I feel very much at home at this great team,” Gasly said. “I enjoy being a real part of both the Formula 1 project and the wider Alpine Cars vision. I’ve been officially here for over 18 months and it has always been the plan to build a long-term project with the team.

“While on-track it’s been a challenging season so far, I remain faithful to the project and I am not going anywhere. I am happy with the changes made, the hard work, and the direction the team is taking.

“There is a lot of potential in this team’s personnel and resources. I’m excited for what is to come in the future and right now I’m focusing on the everyday details that we are putting in to improve our performances.”

Team principal Bruno Famin says Alpine will announce Gasly’s teammate in due course, having now been able to secure the Frenchman’s future to ensure continuity in one of the cars.

“The extension of Pierre’s contract with the team is very pleasing,” Famin said. “He is a driver with huge experience in Formula 1 and continues to show huge amounts of potential on-track. For Alpine as a brand, he is a great ambassador and we therefore look forward to continuing our collaboration.

“While this is important for our future, we do have to keep our eyes close to what is coming and that is focusing on improving our current package. We have high ambitions this current season and we will work tirelessly to achieve those things. We will take our time in deciding Pierre’s teammate and we are excited with the options we have on the table.”

Alpine is running a test with a previous car at Paul Ricard next week to give track time to Jack Doohan and Mick Schumacher, while Carlos Sainz, Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas have also been linked with the vacancy for next season.

Gasly wants to clear the air before Alpine duo line up together

Pierre Gasly believes Alpine should hold talks with its two drivers ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix as he will start alongside teammate Esteban Ocon in Barcelona. Ocon was penalized for making contact with Gasly on the opening lap of the race in …

Pierre Gasly believes Alpine should hold talks with its two drivers ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix as he will start alongside teammate Esteban Ocon in Barcelona.

Ocon was penalized for making contact with Gasly on the opening lap of the race in Monaco two rounds ago, with Alpine and Gasly stating the attempted overtake went against team instructions. The pair will start from seventh and eighth in Spain as Ocon gains a spot due to Sergio Perez’s grid penalty, and Gasly wants talks to take place before the race.

“I think we should [discuss it], based on the recent events,” Gasly said. “As a team, it would be normal, but as a professional I know what I’ve got to do and always kept it very clean — and I always keep it very clean.”

However, Ocon believes talks are not needed and says it’s not unusual for the Alpine drivers to be close to each other on the grid.

“How many times have we started together?” Ocon said. “It has happened once every 30 times. I don’t expect anything tomorrow; it should be fine.”

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Away from the focus on the driver dynamic, the result marks a surprisingly competitive qualifying session for Alpine with both drivers in the top eight, and Gasly says the team needs to understand why it has been so strong in Spain.

“I think no one really saw that coming,” Gasly said. “I always told them it’s nicer when we have to explain why you overperform rather than underperform, but it’s as important for us to find these answers because coming here we definitely didn’t expect to have a Q3 car. Since yesterday, there was some performance and even today it was a very clean session.

“Looking at the gaps, we’re only a tenth and a half from Lewis [Hamilton], and even Carlos [Sainz] — Ferrari managed to win a race not a long time ago — so I must say it’s very strange, but we take it. It was a good quali and I think a very big, good boost of motivation for the team.”

Gasly wants Alpine discussions after Ocon defies ‘clear instructions’

Pierre Gasly says he was shocked by Esteban Ocon’s attempted move on him at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix and suggests it went against pre-race instructions given to them by Alpine. Ocon attempted to pass Gasly down the inside of Portier on the …

Pierre Gasly says he was shocked by Esteban Ocon’s attempted move on him at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix and suggests it went against pre-race instructions given to them by Alpine.

Ocon attempted to pass Gasly down the inside of Portier on the opening lap but the angle into the corner meant he was unable to leave a car’s width on the exit and his left rear hit Gasly’s right front, launching Ocon into the air. While it was Ocon who retired, the stewards handed him what was converted into a five-place grid penalty at his next race for what they described as an “overly ambitious overtaking attempt”, and Gasly wants discussions with his teammate as a result.

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“I was quite shocked and it was very unnecessary. We should never have such a situation, especially between teammates,” Gasly said. “I’m just sad, disappointed with the situation, and especially as we had clear instructions before the race on what to do and whoever qualified ahead, the trailing car was supposed to help throughout the race with the strategy, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.

“We definitely need to speak because we can’t afford [collisions], especially in a season like this, a point or two that might be crucial at the end of the year. We’ve just got to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

Elaborating on the pre-race discussions, Gasly claims Ocon was supposed to be helping ensure the lead Alpine could maximize its result, but says it’s not the first time the pair have been involved in incidents together.

“Honestly it was set in the strategy that whoever qualifies ahead will get the priority on the strategy and the guy behind will play a bit more of a support role. Obviously absolutely no risk on a track like that and really try to benefit from having the two cars in such a position.

“We know what’s happened and I think what’s most important for me is just to make sure that it doesn’t happen in the future. We came close already a couple of times, too many times, we discussed about it and we just need to be clear.”

Gasly went on to finish 10th after being able to take the restart following a red flag in his original position, but he says when the collision occurred Ocon risked both of them being able to score.

“At that time we were P9 and P10, so there’s absolutely no reason to try or risk to get both cars out,” Gasly said. “You can’t really rewrite the story, so you’ll never know if things could have been differently, but for sure we were in a strong position as a team, especially with the two cars ahead of us, and I feel genuinely that I had the pace to try something and we could be quite smart.

“We had a different scenario planned in terms of strategy. Unfortunately we couldn’t work it that way, but we’ll never know. At the end of the day I think we did the best we could because after the incident I got a puncture on my hard tire, restarted with the medium tires, and had to do 75 or 76 laps on medium, which wasn’t planned.

“It was just a very strange race with a very slow pace at the start, but to keep in mind the long game and making sure that the two Aston Martins behind me – with [Fernando] Alonso opening a free pit stop for [Lance] Stroll – so I had to keep some tires alive for the second part of the race in case Stroll would catch me back.

“There was quite a lot going on. I’m just happy for the team, we managed to get to the end and grab that point.”

Gasly encouraged by structural changes at Alpine

Pierre Gasly has endorsed Alpine’s new team structure and says signs of progress were already seen last year despite a raft of management changes behind the scenes. Former team principal Otmar Szafnauer, sporting director Alan Permane, and chief …

Pierre Gasly has endorsed Alpine’s new team structure and says signs of progress were already seen last year despite a raft of management changes behind the scenes.

Former team principal Otmar Szafnauer, sporting director Alan Permane, and chief technical officer Pat Fry all left the team for various reasons last summer, with the latter two joining Visa Cash App RB (formerly AlphaTauri) and Williams respectively.

Racing director Davide Brivio also moved on at the end of 2023, but despite the raft of backroom changes, Gasly says the team comes into this season upbeat after a somewhat stronger run in the second half of last year under Bruno Famin and sporting director Julian Rouse.

“I must say it’s been good,” Gasly said. “I think overall last year was just a disappointing season, we didn’t perform the way we wanted, but the second part of the season felt like it was slightly more maximized.

“There were definitely some changes and a big desire and drive to improve the potential within the team, and trying to drive that sort of mentality into the race pace and from what I’m seeing I’m really happy with the changes I’ve seen so far. The atmosphere is great, spirit is good and yeah, I’m in a great place as well, I just want to get behind the wheel and get a first feel for it.”

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Teammate Esteban Ocon agreed, pointing out that the several months the team has had with its new structure stands it in good stead for this year.

“The mood in the team is good,” Ocon said. “I think you guys are going to see a lot of changes. Usually when things happen internally, when there is new roles in place, if you’re not inside the team it’s quite discreet, but when you arrive in the team now, you see how much things have changed.

“It hasn’t made the winter difficult, because that was in place since September so we knew who we would work with and the continuity of the long-term plan and improvements are beginning to bear fruit.”

Team principal Famin, who has been in the role since Szafnauer’s exit last July and intends to remain, says that getting the most out of the team’s existing staff will be key to moving Alpine forward this year.

“A good 2024 season will be first to see a good improvement in the way we work altogether at the factory, to be able to extract more from our talented people we have in Enstone and Viry,” Famin said. “If we are able to do that, we will be able to develop our car, which is a brand-new car.”

But it’s that brand-new car that the drivers say is a reason to keep expectations in check going into the new season. Alpine has adopted a new concept for its 2024 car, the A524, and Gasly stressed the need for patience.

“I feel like there’s a great atmosphere, good attitude, a good spirit in the team with a desire to improve and really move forward,” Gasly said. “It’s a great place — now we’ve got to see what we can do with the car. It’s a new concept, a pretty aggressive approach. We know already we started a new piece of paper and we’ll have to be patient with that car; there is potential but we’ll have to see where we stand in Bahrain.”

Ocon added that where the team starts is irrelevant — where it stands mid-season will be the key indicator.

“There’s going to be a lot of running to do in the beginning and we need to have a good plan of how to improve our car, because it doesn’t matter where we start exactly, it matters how we’re going to be a couple of races after,” he said.

“There could be a scenario where it’s not that easy. We’re not starting in the best shape because it’s a new concept, but we should be in a good place after.”