Alpine F1 Team has made steps to move up the grid in 2024 so far. After spending the first four rounds at the very back, Esteban Ocon finished P11 in China. Whilst far from spectacular, this shows an important step forward for Team Enstone. The French driver’s A524 finished just 2 seconds away from the points, losing out to Nico Hulkenberg in his updated Haas VF-24.
The ‘Chinese’ update to improve the rear of the A524
A new floor originally planned for Miami made its debut at the Shanghai circuit. Changes were made to the floor fences (the vertical diverters) in the central part, i.e. on the outer edge. There were also modifications to the lateral parts of the diffuser. New features are designed to improve overall downforce, thanks to the greater aerodynamic load generated by the surface, especially in the rear part, also due to better control of the flow around the rear tyres.
In this first part of the season, the A524 showed various problems. Perhaps the biggest was a chronic lack of aerodynamic downforce at the rear. This was especially difficult for rear traction.
While waiting for the first important aerodynamic update of the season, Alpine began working on a mechanical compromise. However, their latest upgrade provided an improvement described as “very important” by the French team’s technicians. From this point of view, the Miami track could be a real test, since it features many low-speed corners.
To do this, further potential that was not seen in Shanghai will need to be unlocked. After all, the A524’s macro component did not perform as the French technicians expected. However, it was still considered a step forward compared to the old specification. Alpine believes more time is needed to fine-tune the set-up.
Alpine A524: almost 4kg removed in the first five races, below the minimum weight by next month
“There is a lot to discover from the new package because a lot of changes are needed, and in China, we haven’t had time to make them,” Ocon said. The new floor was only available to Ocon and if other ‘individual’ updates arrive, Gasly will be the first to benefit from it.
By bringing two different specifications of the A524 to the track, the French team took the opportunity to collect important data. Ultimately, they did not have upgrades ready for both cars due to a lack of available parts.
In Miami both cars will have the same specifications as Gasly will also have the new parts for the first American race of the year.
In the first races, Williams’ lack of a reserve chassis had made the news, with Sergeant’s exclusion from the Australian GP. However, Alpine was also in a very similar situation until the Japanese GP.
Alpine took this risk because a new floor was already approved and scheduled to arrive on Ocon’s A524 in Shanghai.
“The update brought to China allowed us to save a couple of kilos and add a couple of more downforce points. Thanks to the new bottom and the new chassis,” said Gasly, with the package worth approximately two-tenths per lap.
“The car has already made progress. In terms of weight, it is a continuous process. There is not one big step forward but many small steps.
“I don’t want to go into too much detail. But soon, we will be at a point where we will be happy with the possibility of giving us some flexibility,” said Pilbeam, the engineer in charge of the team’s Performance department.
The term flexibility relates to the possibility of using ballast to improve the A524’s balance. In 2024, so far, the French team has been able to cut almost 4kg of excess weight. Eliminating all excess weight is achievable “by the end of month,” according to a source within the Enstone team.
