Alpine have started their 2024 campaign in disappointing fashion, and it seems there are more troubles that lie ahead.
Before the teams even arrived in Bahrain for pre-season, there were already concerns about Alpine. The French team were very pessimistic in the A524’s launch, emphasising that mid-season development would be heavily relied upon.
However, few could have anticipated the true extent of their early struggles.
The team’s tyre selection in testing was unusually skewed towards the hard tyres, indicating an urge to disguise their pure performance.
Unfortunately for Alpine, they could not hide behind long-run simulations forever.
Free Practice was the first clear sign that speed was severely lacking, with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly at the bottom of the timing sheets.
Qualifying was even worse, with the A524 locking out the back row. For a manufacturer that began this set of regulations as the 4th-best team, their current situation is very disheartening.
With the first Grand Prix of the season now concluded, more negative headlines are imminent.
Several sources indicate that technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer have resigned.
As it stands, it seems a matter of time until these reports are confirmed. If true, this development is further bad news for Team Enstone.
Much of their rhetoric over the last few weeks has revolved around the potential for development.
This point has actually been repeated across the field. However, an aggressive and effective development plan is especially necessary at Alpine.
The resignation of Matt Harman, quite obviously, indicates a lack of confidence in the A524. With resources and wind tunnel time increasingly limited, a mid-season recovery would have been improbable at the best of times.
With the team’s technical leadership seemingly departing, this task becomes all the more difficult.
Perhaps the French outfit will be forced to cut their losses and divert their resources to the 2026 regulation changes.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
