Alpine design boss reveals frustration amid pre-season development choice

A deliberate development choice made ahead of the season has seen Alpine battling at points throughout this season.

With a radical new rule change set to be introduced next year, Renault’s factory F1 operation has opted for a light-touch approach to F1 2025, allowing it to focus its efforts on next season.

Alpine has introduced just a single upgrade package in F1 2025

Alpine sits 10th and last in the Constructors’ Championship at the halfway point of the season with 19 points, 10 fewer than ninth-placed Haas.

Pierre Gasly has scored all of those, courtesy of points-paying results in Bahrain, Spain, and Britain. There was also an eighth-place finish, worth a solitary point, in the Miami GP sprint.

The squad was sixth last year, a result that owed much to a fortuitous result in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where Gasly and Esteban Ocon combined for a double-podium result for the team.

Without the injection of a similar result this year, it’s likely to be a long second half of the campaign for the Enstone operation.

However, that is at least partly by design, with David Sanchez, the team’s executive technical director, revealing the conscious choices that were made when it comes to development for F1 2025 given the looming rule change.

“We decided on a plan before the season. It said that we would only bring a major upgrade to Barcelona this year,” Sanchez told Auto Motor und Sport.

While Alpine sits at the foot of the teams’ championship, it would be unfair to suggest it’s woefully off the pace.

The challenge the squad faces is that, in the final year of a regulation cycle, the field has condensed considerably.

“All cars are very similar in terms of design,” Sanchez reasoned. “The gaps between them have become so small. This means that our weaknesses have a greater impact.”

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One of those weaknesses is thought to be the Renault power unit, thought to be down on power compared to its rivals.

Carrying that means the team must make concessions elsewhere, which come with other trade-offs.

“On some tracks, this means we have to drive with less downforce. And that then results in increased tire wear. In Austria, it was particularly extreme,” said Sanchez.

“When everything is right, the pace isn’t too bad. The key now is to reach this level as often as possible. We have to adapt to the conditions properly, race by race.”

Alpine will swap to Mercedes customer power next year, after Renault opted to pull the plug on its in-house engine programme.

With development also skewed towards the F1 2026 effort, it’s a case of making the best of what the squad currently has.

“The performance is sometimes frustrating. But the guys are doing their best. I try to lead by example. Of course, it’s not nice when you don’t know whether you’ll even score any points by the end of the year. That’s no fun.

“We made a bold decision and are now paying the price for it,” he added. “But I encouraged the team to go down this path. I hope it pays off next year. We want to be back at the front, fighting for podium places. From what I see at the factory, things are looking good for next year. The whole team has high expectations. I can’t wait to experience the new car on the track.

“Last year, some people had already written us off. Then we managed to turn things around. This year, however, the situation is somewhat different.

“At present, we are not even close to the points. We are slower than our direct opponents. This means that we need assistance. A lot can happen in the races, but on paper it will be challenging to close this gap.”

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