What Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has planned for the remaining Formula One season races and how drivers Gasly and Ocon are dealing with the sporting situation
In the 2024 Formula 1 season, Alpine has only scored 13 points in 18 Grands Prix so far. Team principal Oliver Oakes is asked whether this is affecting drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. He says: “Of course, some things frustrate them, but it’s no different for me. Because you don’t just want to go for a drive on Sunday without fighting for something.”
But Alpine can’t really fight with the A524: the team hasn’t achieved more than ninth place this year. According to Oakes, however, Gasly and Ocon are dealing with the situation ‘incredibly professionally’. ”In any case, there were never any concerns about their motivation.”
And that despite the fact that Alpine has not made any decisive progress for some time. However, Oakes attributes this primarily to his team’s development schedule: “We got a bit out of rhythm because we were late in bringing updates at the start of the season. That’s why it no longer coincides with when others are using new parts,” explains the Alpine team principal.
That is now set to change: the French-British works team is planning “several updates by the end of the season” and, according to Oakes, is aiming for “an increase in performance”. He is not going into more detail at this point, which is also related to the way the year has gone so far.
Oakes says: “Some teams have implemented major updates this year, while for others it hasn’t worked. At the end of the day, we just have to wait and see how the updates take effect.”
“In my opinion, it’s not that easy to just throw a number out there because that’s what the simulation showed. It still has to be implemented on the track.”
The evaluation of the technical updates is further complicated by the natural fluctuations in the Formula One balance of power, says Oakes: “It goes back and forth from one weekend to the next. This can be seen even between drivers at the front of the field and within teams. It’s interesting to watch. And it’s no different for us.”
