This site uses cookies and related technologies for site operation, analytics and third party advertising purposes as described in our Privacy and Data Processing Policy. You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, or further manage your preferences. To opt-out of sharing with third parties information related to these technologies, select "Manage Settings" or submit a Do Not Sell My Personal Information request.
Friday’s practice sessions started on a positive note for Alpine, with the team showing some promise in Free Practice 1. However, things took a downturn during the later session.
Esteban Ocon reflected on the drop-off between the two sessions, stating:
“The pace looked relatively promising this morning in Free Practice 1 but seemed to drop off for us in Free Practice 2 even though the car felt similar between the two sessions. We need to debrief as a team and understand why that is and aim to come back stronger tomorrow.”
Pierre Gasly shared similar sentiments, pointing out that the team was off the pace relative to their expectations:
“It’s been a tough Friday Practice for us in Singapore. We have not been competitive relative to our expectations, so we have a lot of work to do in order to understand the areas where we are lacking.”
The lack of performance left Alpine with much to analyse as they headed into Saturday, hoping to unlock some potential before qualifying.
Saturday’s Qualifying saw a slight improvement for Ocon, who felt better with the car compared to Friday, but the team still struggled to reach its full potential.
Ocon noted a positive step in Q1 but found it difficult to sustain that momentum:
“I was happier with the car in Qualifying, it felt better this evening and we took a step forward in terms of pace from Free Practice 3, particularly in Q1. The pace seemed to drop off a little in Q2, and we were not able to extract much more to be closer to Q3.”
Gasly, on the other hand, found himself grappling with grip and traction issues, leading to a frustrating Qualifying session:
“It’s a disappointing Qualifying performance. I just felt like I had no grip and poor traction... It’s confusing at the moment, we are certainly scratching our heads and we will work hard together to figure out this deficit.”
Despite their efforts, the team was left out of the top ten, and with both drivers qualifying outside the points-paying positions, Alpine faced an uphill battle for Sunday’s race.
Race day in Singapore presented a physical and tactical challenge, but Alpine’s difficulties persisted.
Ocon started from 15th on the grid and managed to climb to 13th by the end of the race. However, his hopes of breaking into the points never materialized:
“We had a good start in today’s race, gaining a few positions off the line, but we did not have the pace to be a points contender. We maximised what we had, but without any big opportunities for us to capitalise on, we weren’t able to move further ahead.”
Gasly endured an even tougher race, starting from 18th and finishing in 17th. The team attempted different strategies, but nothing seemed to improve the car’s competitiveness. Gasly explained:
“The lack of pace forced us to try some different strategies in hope of improving our end result. We stayed out long on the Mediums on the first stint and lost a lot of time... The reality is three races ago [in Zandvoort] we were ninth place, and at the last three races we have been far away from the top ten.”
Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes was candid about the team's performance, acknowledging the challenges that have plagued them in recent races:
“It was a tough day on track and a repeat of what we saw in Qualifying, which follows the trend from the previous couple of races. We had expected to perform better here... but we did not have the pace.”
With a four-week break before the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the Alpine team has a crucial window to regroup and work on improving their package.
Ocon pointed out that there is still time to turn things around:
“We must continue to work hard, aim to extract more from the package, and be in a position where we can optimise everything that we have in our hands.”
Gasly also expressed a sense of urgency for a return to form:
“We have to find some performance, and there is a lot of work ahead of us to improve our current level.”
While the Singapore Grand Prix was a race to forget for Alpine, the team remains determined to push forward in the final stretch of the 2024 season. The goal is clear: to bring more performance to the car and return to competitiveness as they head into Austin and beyond.
