F1 expert says one team’s aero department aren’t putting their drivers’ best interests first

Follow us on Google Discover

Alpine aren’t in the best position heading into the 2024 season and there’s a concern that their results in testing are designed to make management happy rather than the drivers.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly saw the team go backwards on the grid last year with McLaren and Aston Martin leapfrogging them in the Constructors’ Championship.

Speaking on The Race Podcast, F1 expert Gary Anderson is concerned with the team’s aerodynamics department and the progress they’re making.

The unveiling of this season’s Formula 1 cars is closing in, unless you’re a McLaren fan in which case you’ve already seen their new livery.

Alpine are going to be one of the first teams on the grid to show the world their new machine.

However, there won’t be a huge amount of analysis until the car is on track in Bahrain the weekend before the season starts.

There are already worrying noises coming out of the team ahead of the start of the season.

They’re in real danger of being dragged towards the bottom of the standings rather than making up the gap to the top five teams.

Anderson is now concerned that Alpine are producing results in the wind tunnel that might be pleasing the management team but not the drivers.

Ocon is already being linked with a move to Audi, while Gasly wasn’t overly happy with his first season with the team.

The team need to up their game quickly to avoid being left behind.

Alpine looking to impress management not drivers – Anderson

Speaking about Alpine’s development, Anderson said: “These cars don’t just go in straight lines, they do go around corners and I’ve never heard of a driver complain of understeer and oversteer in a straight line, it’s usually around a corner.

“So, you need to get your aerodynamic package to cope with all of that stuff.

“And that’s where I think that I’m a bit cautious in saying that Alpine seem to not be able to take in the big picture so much.

“I think they run under a little bit of a strange thing where it’s more important to find points of downforce in the wind tunnel to make their management happy than it is to find points of consistent downforce in the wind tunnel that will make the driver happy.

“There are teams that are like that, you’ve got to go back and show your big boss, look at how good we are in the wind tunnel and it’s wrong.

“Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards and it’s very important to do that.

“The driver can only drive what is the confidence the car gives him and if it gives him confidence he will push harder. I question I suppose, Alpine’s aerodynamic ability to lay out an aero profile that they try and pursue in the wind tunnel.

“I think they go at it just week in, week out trying to improve the car but it’s very easy to dig a bigger hole for yourself than the one you’re in by just making your problems bigger.”

Alpine have huge task on their hands now

Alpine have to work out what the drivers want and then their improved results would in turn impress the management team.

However, if they’re unsure of what direction to go in with their development then they need to take a step back quickly and figure it out.

With Audi set to join the grid in 2026, Williams moving in the right direction and AlphaTauri working more closely with Red Bull going forward, Alpine are in a precarious position.

They need to get things right otherwise they’ll tumble down the standings very quickly.