F1 News: Esteban Ocon Casts Doubt On Alpine 2024 Performance

Alpine enters the 2024 season with uncertainties regarding its pace amidst a highly competitive F1 field.

Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has recently shared Esteban Ocon's apprehensions about Alpine's performance in the upcoming 2024 season. Amidst a backdrop of organisational shifts and technical challenges, Alpine is confronting a critical phase as it prepares for the new racing year.

Key Takeaways

• Alpine's Performance Anxiety: Esteban Ocon's disclosure to David Croft about Alpine potentially lagging in speed casts a shadow over the team's preparations for 2024. 
• Organisational Overhaul at Alpine: The team witnessed significant changes, including the exit of team principal Otmar Szafnauer and a host of key staff members. With new talents like Pierre Gasly and Bruno Famin on board, and bolstered by influential investors, Alpine is preparing for a pivotal year.
• F1's Competitive Dynamics: Croft's observations extend to the broader F1 field, noting Red Bull's sustained dominance, Ferrari's extensive car revamp, and McLaren's astonishing resurgence, predicting a highly competitive season ahead.

Alpine F1 Instagram

David Croft's commentary at the Autosport International event offers an intriguing perspective on Alpine's current situation. 

"I don’t know how it’s all going behind the scenes... A wheel has not even turned yet at this point.

"Esteban Ocon believes the Alpine is a bit slow. He shared this with me before Christmas. But it's hard to say who is in top form right now."

Croft also provided a broader view of the F1 landscape, commending Red Bull for building on their previous success, speculating about Ferrari's radically altered vehicle, acknowledging Aston Martin's efforts to recover from their slump, and lauding McLaren's exceptional turnaround, likened to a "Lazarus" effect. Croft continued:

“I do think going into this year, Red Bull is obviously going to be in decent shape because they’ve just finessed what was superb last year.

“But then you’ve got Ferrari who says their car is going to be 95 percent different to last year. So heaven only knows what we’re gonna get from Ferrari on that one.

“You’ve got Aston Martin who needs to put right what went wrong in the back end of last year or the middle part of last year and get back to where they were at the start.

“Then you’ve got McLaren. McLaren are fantastic – their revival last year was like Lazarus. They were at the bottom of the Championship after three races and, by the end of it, Lando and Oscar were the closest things to Max – which was mega.”