The 2024 System 1 season couldn’t have began worse for Alpine.
The crew’s 2024 challenger — the A524 — got here in chubby and the crew lagged behind the pack throughout pre-season testing. Fears had been confirmed within the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, when Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon locked out the again row throughout qualifying, beginning the race behind the sector.
The duo completed the primary race of the season down in P17 and P18 and confronted a protracted climb to get into the midfield.
However slowly, outcomes improved, after which got here the São Paulo Grand Prix. Ocon and Gasly survived troublesome climate situations and an opportunity of schedule, delivering a shocking double-podium consequence for the crew. With Ocon ending second and Gasly third in the primary occasion — and Gasly including a P7 within the F1 Dash Race — Alpine banked a staggering 35 factors over the weekend in Brazil.
Vaulting them into sixth within the Constructors’ Championship standings, all the way in which up from ninth.
Now the crew hopes to hold on within the standings because the grid heads to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the primary of three straight races to shut the season.
“We’re heading again to Las Vegas for the second 12 months, and I’m actually trying ahead to it. We had a fantastic consequence there final season, going from sixteenth on the grid to fourth on the chequered flag,” mentioned Ocon within the crew’s media preview. “The circuit is unbelievable to drive with all of the drivers going flat out for a excessive share of every lap. Driving via the center of the town is like no different. There are night time races underneath the lights after which there’s a night time race underneath the lights of Las Vegas. The purpose can be to maintain the momentum going from São Paulo and maximise the weekend to carry our P6 place within the championship.”
“It’s actually thrilling to be heading again to Las Vegas,” started Gasly. “The championship battle stays shut for P6 and we wish to maintain on to our place so we want to ensure we execute every part in the very best means. We’ve proved that we will qualify nicely and battle for factors within the races and that’s our goal in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. It’ll be a problem, however the crew have been distinctive and I actually assume we will do it.
“Final 12 months we certified nicely in Las Vegas, however the race was troublesome for my aspect of the storage particularly with tire administration. The late begin time for the classes and the colder climate makes it an advanced occasion for tire warm-up which can be attention-grabbing once more, however I have to say, I had quite a lot of enjoyable driving the circuit final 12 months. I’m trying ahead to extra of the identical this time and we’ve got our eyes on one other good efficiency.”
