Alpine had a strong end to their Formula 1 campaign in 2022. They started this season with hopes of getting closer to the top 3 teams. They had an all-French driver pairing in Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, and an experienced team principal in Otmar Szafnauer. 12 races in, they find themselves in 6th position.
Their Season So Far
Alpine are 46 points behind McLaren, who seem unstoppable at the moment. They are 46 points ahead of Williams, who won’t be able to catch them with their current form. This leaves them in no man’s land.
In a season that has regularly had 4-5 top teams, points finishes have been hard to come by for Alpine. Add to this their 3 double DNFs, and you are looking at a bleak season. Their highlights have been a podium at Monaco for Ocon, and a sprint podium for Gasly at Spa.
The only thing worse than their performance is their off-track personnel changes. After a poor start to their Formula 1 season, then Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi publicly chastised the team. A few months in, he finds himself removed from the operations.
Bruno Famin is now in charge of motorsport and has already ousted Otmar Szafnauer, Alan Permane, and Pat Fry. This comes barely a year after the embarrassing saga where Alpine lost both Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri. The only good piece of news has been an investment of $200 million by a group of investors including Hollywood superstar Ryan Reynolds.
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Driver Performances
Both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have silently gone about their job at Alpine. They have been consistent throughout the season and quick whenever they have had the car to be so. A lot was said of their fiery rivalry, but they have been harmonious all season. This is despite a crash between them in Australia where they threw away big points. They have managed just 10 points finishes between them and will be hoping for a better second half.
How has the car evolved?
The Alpine car has had regular upgrades just like last season. While they have surely improved, others have improved further. The development by Aston Martin and McLaren will definitely hurt them the most.
Also Read: Mercedes’ season of caution, consistency, & change in philosophy
Predictions
Without a miraculous upgrade like Mclaren, Alpine will find it tough to catch the top 5 teams. Similarly, they are unlikely to be caught by the 4 teams below them either. This leaves them in a peculiar spot and could help them focus more on 2024.
