Alpine F1 News: Esteban Ocon Reveals Team Has 'Taken Step Back Since Bahrain'

Esteban Ocon reveals Alpine's performance has regressed since the Bahrain GP, marking the 2024 season as their worst start.

Oct 22, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; BWT Alpine F1 driver Pierre Gasly (10) of Team France drives / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 Formula 1 season has been marked by a series of disappointing performances for the Alpine team, with Esteban Ocon's recent statements casting a stark light on the team's current predicaments. After a somewhat promising 2023, which included two podium finishes and a sixth place in the constructors' standings - down from P4 in 2022, Alpine has faced a drastic downturn, failing to leave a mark in the early races of the new season.

Key Takeaways

• Esteban Ocon describes the 2024 season as Alpine F1's worst start, with performance issues placing them last in the constructors' standings.
• Despite a promising qualifying at the Japanese GP, Ocon notes a regression in race performance, highlighting difficulties in maintaining pace with competitors.
• Alpine's struggles include failed strategies and a lack of car competitiveness, raising concerns about the team's ability to improve during the season.

Ocon, the French driver who had experienced brighter days with Alpine, openly discussed the team's struggles during the recent Grand Prix in Japan. Despite a glimmer of hope in Saturday's qualifying, where Ocon felt the team had made a significant step forward, the race day brought back the harsh realities of their current capabilities.

"I think we were just not fast enough. We took a good step forward in qualifying at the weekend, but in the race it was even the first step back since Bahrain," Ocon told the media after the Japanese Grand Prix. This admission highlights not just a singular bad race but a troubling trend that has been evident since the season's start.

Ocon drew parallels between the Bahrain International Circuit and Suzuka, suggesting that the team's failure to adapt to similar tracks could be part of their downfall. Despite attempting aggressive race strategies like the undercut, which initially allowed them to advance past four competitors in Japan, the gains were short-lived.

"Tactically we try to be aggressive. We try to pass a lot of cars via an undercut, and that worked [in Japan], we even passed four cars. But unfortunately in racing I couldn't do anything to keep them behind me. It felt like I couldn't fight and the others were in a different category."

The underperformance is further complicated by the comparison with Ocon's teammate, Pierre Gasly, who has also never had such a poor start to an F1 season. This collective slump has put Alpine at the back of the grid, stirring concerns about the team's development direction and their ability to compete with even the midfield teams.

Alpine's woes are emblematic of the challenges that can emerge in the highly competitive environment of Formula 1, where teams are constantly required to innovate and adapt. The lack of progress since Bahrain is particularly disconcerting as it suggests fundamental issues with the car's pace.

As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Alpine's ability to turn around their fortunes. With the European leg of the season approaching, where races are often seen as a fresh start, the team's technical staff and drivers will be under intense scrutiny to deliver improvements and justify their strategies specifically to its owners and investors, who are rumoured to be searching for a buyer.