Pierre Gasly expects a difficult race for Alpine in Saudi Arabia – The track layout could ruthlessly expose the weaknesses of the powertrain
The fluid nature of the Formula 1 circuit in Jeddah plays to Alpine’s strengths, but the many high-speed sections are likely to expose the weaknesses of the current powertrain.
When asked how much of the difference in Alpine’s performance between Japan (13th place) and Bahrain (7th place) was due to the car’s balance and how much was due to the performance of the powertrain, Pierre Gasly replied politely but firmly: “You know I can’t answer that question.”
It’s better not to talk about your own shortcomings in the engine department. “The fact is, this is the package we have, and with this package we were able to fight for a good position in Bahrain. We have to build on that,” says Gasly diplomatically.
“There are still areas where we can improve. There are things we can change. And other things we can’t change.”
What Alpine is struggling with
The Frenchman admits that the street circuit in Saudi Arabia could be difficult for Alpine. In the races so far, it has become apparent that the A525 is a relatively good-natured and well-balanced car that performs well in medium-speed, flowing corners – but is slowed down on the straights by the hybrid systems of the power unit when the electrical energy runs out.
In Suzuka, this was evident when Gasly was able to keep up with the front runners in the flowing S-curves at the start of the lap, but then lost time between the hairpin and the “Spoon” and again on the way to “130R.”
The situation was similar on the long straights of the Shanghai circuit, where neither Gasly nor his teammate were able to challenge the top 10.
The track in Jeddah has few completely straight sections, but many fast corners that are taken at full or almost full throttle. In addition, there are few hard braking zones, which reduces the amount of recoverable electrical energy – an even bigger problem for Alpine, as the Renault powertrain is known to be less efficient than the competition in this area.
“We know there are tracks where it could be a little more difficult for us,” says Gasly. “But at the same time, we also know what we’re up against and what we have to offer. And we have to go into battle with that.”
“On paper, we know that this track is quite sensitive to our problem. But now it’s up to us to be as competitive as possible, and hopefully we can still get something out of this weekend.”
Why Bahrain is not a blueprint
The team is still processing the findings from the Bahrain weekend, where the A525 was fast enough to qualify in the top 10 – on a track where the rough asphalt is tough on the tires and where the efficiency of the underbody aerodynamics is crucial. Alpine had already looked good there in preseason testing.
“In winter testing, we saw that the car worked well in Bahrain,” Gasly recalls. ”That was, of course, the only reference we had at the time, and we thought we could repeat that performance in the first races – which didn’t quite happen. It wasn’t that we were miles off – we still made it into Q3 in Australia and narrowly missed out in Suzuka.”
“But in general, it didn’t feel quite right. When we returned to Bahrain, the car felt like it did during testing there. In terms of analysis, it’s obviously difficult to find all the answers in just a few days.”
“But I think in the next few weeks before Miami, we’ll hopefully have a better understanding of why the car performed the way it did in those conditions – and what might not have played into our hands in the first few races.”
