Alpine F1 Team launched their 2024 contender, the A524, on Feb. 7 alongside their car for another racing category, the World Endurance Championship. The team released two liveries, continuing their tradition from last season, a blue livery and a pink livery. Unfortunately, both are mainly black exposed carbon fiber, and the color shades are too muted to actually stand out. Compared to previous years, where an Alpine would stand out due to its bold colors, the new car is a disappointment.
The team finished the 2023 season sixth in the Constructor Standings, with Esteban Ocon securing a podium in Monaco and Pierre Gasly another in the Netherlands. Gasly and Ocon finished 11th and 12th in the Drivers’ Championship, respectively, leaving the drivers, both entering their eighth year in the sport, wanting more.
In F1, there are three types of teams. There are the backmarkers, who rarely score points and end races at the end of the grid. Then there are the midfield teams, which flounder in and out of the point-scoring positions and only very rarely score podiums. At the top there are the frontrunner teams, these being the ones battling for the championship with their drivers almost always on the podium. Currently, Alpine finds itself on the lower end of the midfield.
But the team is working hard to fix that, promising improvement in 2024.
New Team Principal, Bruno Famin, is set on reviving the team and making it competitive. According to their Technical Director, Matt Harman, they have developed a completely new car for the new season, with a redesigned chassis, a new rear suspension system and a reworked brake system, among other changes. The French team is eager to show their potential, yet the team is cautious not to overestimate their chances. They cannot become a frontrunner team in the span of one season, but they can slowly begin to set up a more successful future with the changes to the car and within the team.
The team is entering its third year working with their title sponsor, BWT, who dictate Alpine’s pink and blue color scheme. They are also sponsored by the British oil company Castrol and other popular brands such as Microsoft, Xbox, Yahoo and Amazon Music. All of these brands decorate the livery of the A524, bringing some much-needed cover to the colorless car.
Both Gasly’s and Ocon’s contracts end after the 2024 season, and whether they will continue with the team depends as much on their performance as on the abilities of the car. With so many other race seats up for grabs, including the recently vacated seat at frontrunner Mercedes, it will be a very interesting season ahead for Alpine.
