Alpine Unveils Its ‘New Concept’ 2024 F1 Car, the A524, as Drivers Show Patience and Faith

Alpine F1 Team has revealed its A524 race car for the 2024 season, with both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly maintaining patience and belief in the fundamentally changed philosophy of the new machine.

On Wednesday, Alpine showcased its new F1 entry, the A524, alongside the A424 that will compete in the WEC, at its Enstone base.

The French outfit finished sixth in last year’s F1 Constructors’ Championship, two places lower than its fourth position in 2022. However, Ocon and Gasly, now in their second year together, delivered podiums in Monaco and the Netherlands, respectively, with the latter also securing third place in a Sprint Race at Spa, highlighting the team’s high points.

In the middle of last season, Alpine underwent significant changes in its senior leadership, with then-CEO and Team Principal Laurent Rossi departing before the Hungarian Grand Prix. Bruno Famin, who had recently been promoted to Vice President, took over as Team Principal.

The A524 retains Alpine’s signature blue and BWT’s distinctive pink, but much of the car is exposed carbon fiber in black. As in previous years, the A524 will have two liveries – the standard blue scheme for 16 races of the 24-event calendar, while an alternate pink-liveried car will be used for the remaining eight races.

At the launch, Alpine’s Technical Director, Matt Harman, said that the A524 features “only the steering wheel” carried over from the 2023 car, with the team stating that the “new concept has been designed for the next two seasons, leveraging learnings from previous iterations to introduce innovative solutions.” This bold approach aims to provide the drivers with more setup opportunities for improvement throughout the coming seasons.

Nonetheless, the team acknowledges that the transition between concepts might require some time for the A524 to reach its full potential early in the season.

“That’s possible,” Ocon told Motorsport.com. “We have a new concept, a completely new car, and usually when you do that, you take a step back. I’m not saying it will be like this because we haven’t run the car yet, but our plan is to keep improving and make bigger steps during the year.

“What’s important is to get good feedback straight away so we know where we need to improve and if our concept is the right one. Our starting point isn’t crucial, but how we are in the middle of the season will be key.”

Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

Gasly, entering his second season with the French outfit, also believes that patience is necessary with the new car, acknowledging the inherent risks of starting from scratch. “When you start from a clean sheet of paper, the risks are always higher, but if you want big rewards, you have to take those risks at some point,” he said.

Alpine’s slide down the rankings last year was due in part to strong progress made by McLaren and Aston Martin. The latter scored six podiums in the first eight races, while the former, after recognizing a problem with its initial concept, managed to challenge Red Bull towards the end of the season with a revised car. Gasly, however, sees an opportunity for Alpine to make a similar leap.

“It definitely shows that it’s possible to have a big turnaround in a Formula 1 season,” said the French driver, who turned 28 on the day of the reveal. “Obviously, it depends on how you start the new season, so I’m definitely hopeful.

“I see the spirit in the team, the energy, the recruitment. I see the direction we’re taking as a team. We’re making the right steps.

“In Formula 1, when you introduce an entirely new concept, it’s not straightforward, and it may not deliver all the returns you expect right away. You have to approach it with an open mind. But looking at other teams, we’ll draw inspiration from them. There were certainly stories last season that will give the whole team hope and motivation.”

Mick Schumacher, still serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver in F1, made his first public appearance in Alpine WEC colors. He joins experienced racer Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere in the No. 36 entry.