F1 team in bleak 'steering wheel' admission over 2024 car

Blank Car Livery Launch, Social — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 team in bleak 'steering wheel' admission over 2024 car

Dramatic changes are on the way for the team

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 11 February 2024 20:27 Updated: 06:19

Key figures from the Alpine Formula 1 team have admitted that their new car is a complete redesign 'from front to back'.

The Enstone-based outfit unveiled their challenger for the upcoming season at a launch at their factory, with fans left confused by the apparent 'pink livery' that will be used at eight races throughout the season.

Alpine's hope is that their 2024 car can bring them closer to the top five teams in the constructors' championship following a 2023 season hampered by poor power unit performance and a variety of inconsistencies.

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As such, the team were only able to claim two podiums throughout the season and finished well clear of seventh-placed Williams in the standings but a long way behind fifth-placed Aston Martin, who claimed eight podiums in the season.

Esteban Ocon has provided a rather pessimistic start to the Enstone-based team's season, by revealing to Sky Sports commentator David Croft that the new car was already looking 'slow'.

Pierre Gasly is desperate for his new team to kick on having left AlphaTauri

Alpine have suffered two seasons of relatively poor performance since new regulations entered the sport

Alpine's dramatic changes

Despite this, key personnel from the team are optimistic that their completely new car design can push the outfit - who have recently been provided with substantial backing from some superstar investors - onto better results in 2024.

"We decided to take a very bold approach, it's a brand new car from front to back," technical director Matt Harman said during the car launch presentation. "I think only the steering wheel survived.

"We've really tried to look at every single area of the car to make sure that we leave no stone unturned, and we give ourselves a car that could have potential through the year."

Recently appointed permanent team principal Bruno Famin believes that the team have a lot to improve upon heading into 2024, but that they can make gains.

"We have an idea of where we think we are compared to last year but we have no clue about where are the competitors," he said.

"The pure ICE (engine) is a bit down, we know why," he said. "The FIA made it public. But at the end of the race, it's not the engine and not the chassis that scores points but the car.

"The engine is what it is...a lot of things are frozen but we can also work on the integration, on the software, on the cooling. We are working on all of that...at the end of the story, what we need is a good car whatever the engine.

"We have to improve the engine but we have to improve the chassis, the aero, our understanding of the tyre. Everything. It's all together we need to improve."

Pierre Gasly Esteban Ocon Enstone Alpine Formula 1 team