Pierre Gasly has hailed Alpine’s charge to sixth place in the 2024 Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship as “unthinkable,” considering the team’s struggles with a slow and overweight car at the start of the season. The transformation was remarkable, propelling the team from the back of the grid to a respectable mid-table finish.
Alpine’s Early Season Struggles
The 2024 season began with Alpine fielding a revamped car that significantly lagged in performance. This was compounded by a series of resignations from key engineering and senior personnel, leaving the team vulnerable. As Gasly noted, “The lows of the season were extremely low.” Their journey was challenging, characterised by an underperforming car and organisational disruptions.
A Turning Point in Miami
Alpine’s fortunes began to shift by Round Six at the Miami Grand Prix. A consistent series of upgrades finally brought the car to its target weight, marking the beginning of the team’s ascent. From Miami onwards, Alpine exhibited steady improvement with seven points finishes over the next ten races, culminating in a sensational double podium performance in Brazil.
Gasly’s Stellar Performances
Gasly’s individual contributions were pivotal. Achievements such as his fifth place in Qatar and seventh place at the Abu Dhabi finale underlined his capability and Alpine’s progress. These performances were instrumental in securing sixth place for the team in the standings. Reflecting on the season, Gasly expressed immense pride, stating, “Very proud of the reaction of the guys and the way they’ve managed to bring that much performance to give me a car on the last few races, which really allow me to perform strongly.”
Team Spirit and Future Optimism
Gasly credited the positive atmosphere and spirit within the team as key factors in their progress. “It shows that we’re heading in the right direction, that the mentality and the spirit inside the team is the right one,” he affirmed. The visible strides, especially since April and May, have laid a solid foundation for the future. Although the improvements took time to reflect on the track, they were eventually rewarded in the latter half of the season.
Personal Milestones
In addition to the team achievements, Gasly met personal goals at the Abu Dhabi GP, including clinching tenth place in the Drivers’ Standings over Nico Hulkenberg by a single point and completing the season without any crash damage. This was a feat Gasly proudly shared, saying, “Coming here, there were three targets: to get sixth in the constructor, 10th in the driver, and keep my nose clean so we still on zero, $0 damage.”
Gasly humorously added that team manager Flavio Briatore appreciated the lack of crash damage and the additional $10 million garnered from the sixth-place finish. Gasly remarked, “[Flavio Briatore’s] gonna like that. But also the $10 million I got them today [in extra prize money for finishing sixth], yeah, but this [no crash damage] is personal.”
Moving Forward
With an encouraging end to the season, Alpine and Gasly are looking towards 2025 with optimism. Their performance in 2024 shows the potential for further advancements, provided the team continues its upward trajectory. Maintaining the team’s momentum and spirit will be crucial as they battle for further improvements in Formula 1.
