END OF YEAR REPORT: Alpine – From a nightmare start to a promising finish amid numerous behind-the-scenes changes

The 2024 F1 season was nothing short of a rollercoaster for Alpine. Having started the campaign essentially at the back of the field, things initially looked bleak for the Enstone squad – all as numerous personnel and structural changes played out in the background. However, signs of progress emerged as the year developed, resulting in them claiming a hard-fought P6 in the constructors’ championship. Let’s take a look at Alpine’s end of year report…

Best finish

Esteban Ocon – 2nd in Sao Paulo

Up until the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, no driver from outside of the top four teams had stood on the podium – a statistic that highlights just how stunning a moment it was to see not only one but both of the Alpine pairing on the rostrum in Brazil.

THE STRATEGIST: How did Alpine pull off their shock double podium in Brazil?

Mixed fortunes during Sunday morning’s postponed qualifying session saw Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly line up in fourth and 13th on the grid respectively, but a combination of solid strategy choices and impressive management skills amid treacherous weather conditions helped Gasly to move his way forwards by the time the race was red flagged.

It was Ocon that was leading, however, when the action resumed, and the Frenchman did an admirable job of trying to keep a chasing Max Verstappen at bay. While the world champion ultimately swept ahead to take victory, Ocon held onto P2 to mark his strongest finish since his memorable debut win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, with Gasly not far behind in P3.

Qualifying head-to-head

Gasly 11-13/0 Ocon/Doohan

It was practically neck-and-neck between Gasly and Ocon when it came to qualifying form in 2024, though with a noticeable shift from Ocon leading the way in the first half of the season through to Gasly setting the benchmark as the year entered into its second phase.

After F1 returned from its summer break, Gasly outqualified Ocon on seven out of nine occasions – and added to his tally by also beating new team mate Jack Doohan when the rookie made his debut at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix following Ocon’s early exit from the squad.

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Race head-to-head

Gasly 11-13/0 Ocon/Doohan

A similar pattern played out in race day results, with Ocon generally getting the better of Gasly initially before the latter enjoyed a stronger run later in the season. Gasly also endured more bad luck in terms of mechanically-related retirements, having recorded four DNFs during the year including an especially disappointing failure in Las Vegas after qualifying in a phenomenal P3.

While Ocon ultimately just beat Gasly in the head-to-head, it was Gasly who ended the season with more points, scoring 42 in comparison to his team mate’s 23. Ocon’s tough second half of the campaign – barring that aforementioned P2 in Sao Paulo – preceded him leaving Alpine earlier than initially planned ahead of his move to Haas in 2025.

Best moment

There were numerous ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ moments during the mid-season that hinted at signs of hope for Alpine following a challenging start to the campaign, such as their double points finishes in Canada and Spain.

But clearly nothing could topple that surprise podium in Sao Paulo, a remarkable achievement bearing in mind that both drivers had found themselves at the back of the pack a few months earlier when the season got under way in Bahrain.

There were multiple strands to the impact of Gasly and Ocon sharing the podium; not only did it incredibly haul Alpine up from P9 to P6 in the constructors’ standings – a position that they ultimately held onto by the end of the year despite tough competition – but it also marked a fascinating moment between the two drivers, a relationship that has famously experienced many ups and downs since their childhood karting days.

READ MORE: Oakes discusses 'trepidation' over becoming third Alpine Team Principal in 18 months

Worst moment

Despite ending the campaign on a high note, there were various incidents from the start of Alpine’s season that could be pinpointed in this category, from a collision between Gasly and Ocon in Monaco through to the seemingly endless personnel changes that were playing out behind the scenes – including the arrival of their third Team Principal in 18 months – which all appeared to hint at some instability.

There was also further upheaval when it was announced in September that the squad will no longer use a works Renault power unit from 2026 and will instead become a customer team, leading to more focus on their off-track goings-on rather than their on-track activity.

However, perhaps the toughest moment came right out of the blocks at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where both cars lined up at the back of the grid and endured an equally difficult Sunday that saw them come home in 17th and 18th. It was a weekend where the scale of the task ahead of the team became dauntingly clear.

Going forward

While Alpine are not the only outfit to have faced a rollercoaster ride in 2024, the Enstone team can take heart from the fact that their campaign went on an upwards trajectory rather than a downwards one.

To go from being at the back of the pack in the beginning through to achieving a solid P6 in the constructors’ standings is an impressive feat, particularly given those aforementioned changes happening behind the scenes.

READ MORE: ‘We’ve never looked as strong’ – Gasly ecstatic after securing sixth in constructors' for Alpine in Abu Dhabi

But this restructure now appears to be paying off, with new Team Principal Oliver Oakes noting early on in his tenure that he could “already see some good things” coming from the new sense of “stability” at the team.

There certainly looks to be a positive mindset in place for 2025 after a strong run of form to end 2024; Gasly admitted after the finale in Abu Dhabi that the squad’s progression has given him “confidence for next season”, adding that there is “more performance coming”.

Gasly acknowledged, however, that there remains a “big gap” to the cars ahead, meaning that there is still work to be done if Alpine are to home in on the leading teams. There is also a slight unknown at play in the arrival of Doohan, who will compete in his first full season in 2025.

The Australian was thrown in at the deep end somewhat in Abu Dhabi, having stepped in to make an earlier-than-planned debut following Ocon’s departure post-Qatar. While it was a low-key outing, Doohan will be hoping to make an impression as one of several rookies to arrive into F1 next year and ultimately help the team to continue their ascent.

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