Source: REUTERS/ANDREW BOYERS
[Saba Sports News] The recent F1 Bahrain
preseason concluded, and the performance of the newly introduced Alpine A524
race car was surprisingly positive during testing. Despite initial concerns
about the car being overweight and having low aerodynamic efficiency, it
demonstrated competitive performance, even over long distances. However, there
were criticisms suggesting that the Alpine A524 was among the worst of the new
cars introduced. Some media outlets even speculated that the team’s senior
engineer might resign due to the perceived poor design and underperformance of
the vehicle. The car was deemed to have minimal differences compared to its
predecessor, lacking practical upgrades. In the 2023 season, the Alpine team
accumulated a total of 120 points, securing a sixth-place position in the team
rankings. The team maintained its driver lineup with French drivers Pierre
Gasly and Esteban Ocon. The opinion expressed by the editor is that the team’s
performance in the new season is unlikely to witness significant breakthroughs,
both in terms of car performance and driver strength. Consequently, it is
anticipated that the Alpine team’s performance in the upcoming season will
resemble that of the 2023 season.