Alpine suffered from less engine power than the competition in 2023, but according to Matt Harman, the deficit alone doesn’t explain the disappointing season
At the beginning of the year, Alpine claimed that its Renault engines lacked up to 30 hp compared to the Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda units. When asked how much this played a role in the season, Head of Engineering Matt Harman says: “It’s not just about the deficit in the power units. “
“If we look at Monza and how we did there, it wasn’t a good weekend. We didn’t expect that,” he recalls of the Italian Grand Prix. Alpine was literally left behind there after finishing on the podium in Zandvoort the week before.
In Monza, however, Pierre Gasly (15th) and Esteban Ocon (retirement after a defect) were miles away from the points. And although the circuit is a power track, this crash came as a surprise: “We knew the power delta of the power unit, but we didn’t expect to be in this position.”
“It shows that we didn’t do enough on the chassis side to complement the power unit and make the most of it. And that’s something we learned for Las Vegas. So the upgrades are a little bit inspired by the root cause analysis we did after Monza,” Harman explains.
The lessons learned from the low point at Monza
In Vegas, Alpine carried out some set-up experiments – also with a view to 2024 – and modified the front wing and beam wing to aerodynamically counteract the engine’s power deficit. “Of course, we had to make some compromises,” explains the team’s Technical Director.
“You have to re-optimize your car in a different zone. I think there is a lot you can do. And I think we didn’t do enough on some tracks where the power unit dominates.” They wanted to correct this in Vegas – and a fourth place for Gasly proved the team right.
As the engines are frozen until 2025, Alpine must continue to try to compensate for its deficit in this way. Although the manufacturer hoped for support for equalization measures, both Mercedes and Ferrari believed that Alpine was exaggerating and were against a special regulation.
Focus is on new power unit for 2026
When asked whether it is frustrating that nothing can be done about the engine situation for the time being, Harman replies: “I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating. We were very brave with this engine. Yes, it is a bit behind where we would like it to be. But it used to be a lot further behind.”
“We made a big step forward, but we just didn’t get far enough. We couldn’t take any more risks than we did. Of course, it would have been nice if we had been given the go-ahead for a short time to make further adjustments,” admits Harman.
Alpine will have to spend the next two years trying to make the most of the package they have now, while the focus is already on 2026. “That’s a big focus for the team. That’s where we see our future. In the end, we made the decision to focus on the future.”
“We already have some big ideas for that,” reveals Alpine’s Technical Director. “We also have a big program at both sites (Enstone and Viry) to improve our capabilities and functions. We are well funded. We have enough people. It’s just a matter of continuing our work. “
