Karun Chandhok fears one F1 team face ‘tough’ 2024 without ‘big upgrades’

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Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok fears Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly will face a ‘tough year’ in 2024 unless Alpine can unlock ‘big upgrades’ that rescue their season.

The new campaign is just days away with the Bahrain GP launching Formula 1’s 2024 season on Saturday. But Alpine have convinced Chandhok that they will go into the race in a difficult spot after the sole winter test. F1’s 10 teams spent three days at the Sakhir circuit last week.

Alpine put plenty of laps on the board throughout the test, with Ocon amassing a combined 193 and Gasly completing 141. But the A524 often appeared to be lacking pace and in terms of its handling. It might even be the slowest car on the grid for the opening F1 races in 2024.

Esteban Ocon admits ‘it is a possibility’ that Alpine have F1’s worst car

Even Ocon admits ‘it is a possibility’ that Alpine have the worst car. Gasly also concedes that the Renault-owned F1 team missed ‘some targets’ and urges the Enstone natives to improve the A524 ‘fast’. But their issues go deep with Alpine’s car overweight and lacking downforce.

Alpine have upgrades in the pipeline to try and move the A524 back to, at least, where they finished 2023. Gasly and Ocon posted 62 and 58 points respectively in 2023 with the A523. But their results saw Alpine slip from fourth to sixth spot in the constructors’ championship.

Karun Chandhok fears Alpine need ‘big upgrades’ for the A524 quickly

Sixth place in 2023 was already a step backward for Alpine having finished the 2022 season as Formula 1’s fifth-best team. So, Alpine pursued an ‘aggressive’ new design with the A524. Gasly even stated Alpine could ‘do better’ than their podiums ‘every now and then’ in 2023.

The 28-year-old finished third at the 2023 Dutch GP during his debut season at the French team. While 27-year-old Ocon took third at the 2023 Monaco GP for Alpine’s first podium of the year. But ex-HRT driver Chandhok fears the Frenchmen will face a difficult term this year.

Chandhok told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast: “Alpine are going to have a tough year, by most people’s conclusions.

“This was a team that went from fourth to fifth to sixth last year and there’s lots of hopes about moving forward. They might well do but they’re going to need some big upgrades.”