2024 Alpine F1 car launch: A524 revealed with 'aggressive approach'

F1

Alpine has launched its 2024 F1 car, in what it describes as a "front to back" redesign with a bold approach. See images of what it says is the "real car" plus driver line-up and key personnel info

Alpine has launched its 2024 F1 title-contender with what it calls an “aggressive approach”, as it looks to draw a line under a tumultuous 2023 season.

The A524 shown at the Enstone factory event was described as “the real 2024 car”, rather than a show model and features more exposed carbon fibre than last year’s car. As in previous seasons, the car will run in a pink-heavy livery for some races, in deference to sponsor BWT, with a more blue-focused scheme for the rest.

The launch was an acknowledgement that last year didn’t go as planned, as team principal Bruno Famin conceded that the 2023 car couldn’t be upgraded as much as designers had hoped and that performance had “plateaued”.

“We have taken a very aggressive approach,” said technical director Matt Harman. “We will be relentless upgrading this car and we have an awful lot of potential to extract.”

The design is described as having a completely new philosophy with entirely new parts — “only the steering wheel survived,” added Harman.

Work began on the car’s concept towards the end of 2022 and much of the focus was on increasing the volume of airflow through the crucial underbody area that generates the majority of downforce. “A lot of work we have done is to free up volume in the floor,” said Harman. “There are interesting elements on the floor that allow us to make the most of the air passing over that area.”

Harman also said that there would be more rear wing changes from race to race, to tailor them more closely to the demands of each circuit. Weight balance has been shifted rearwards, and the rear suspension revised.

Alpine 2024

Team principal Bruno Famin conceded that there is “still a lot of room for improvement across the whole team” following a series of changes last year.

Midway through a disappointing campaign Philippe Krief replaced Laurent Rossi as CEO and quickly parted ways with three key figures within the Enstone camp: team principal Otmar Szafnauer, sporting director Alan Permane and chief technical officer Pat Fry. Ahead of the winter break, director of racing expansion projects Davide Brivio also  “mutually parted ways” with the French marque after three years of collaboration.

Unchanged is the driver line-up, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon back behind the wheel.

Alpine 2024 4
Front view of Alpine 2024 car

Alpine will run blue livery at most races

Alpine 2024 F1 car side shot

Pink livery will feature at certain GPs

Alpine

Alpine F1 2024 car launch date and live stream

Settle down for a lengthy launch: Alpine’s reveal event is scheduled to start at 1.30pm GMT and you’ll be able to watch the live stream on this page.

There’s a full half an hour scheduled until the 2024 Formula 1 car is shown at around 2pm.

 

2023: A significant step…backwards

Hungarian Grand Prix 2023

Alpine’s 2023 season was less than successful

Grand Prix Photos

Since the re-branded Renault hit the F1 grid in 2021, it has been widely regarded as a top midfield contender, with the potential of challenging the front-runners in years to come. The 2022 season certainly supported that belief, but 2023 was a significant step backwards.

Despite podium appearances from both Ocon and Gasly — in Monaco and Zandvoort respectively — the team finished a disappointing and lonely sixth in the constructors’ standings: 92 points ahead of Williams in seventh but 160 points behind Aston Martin in fifth.

Inconsistency and unreliability may have key reasons behind Alpine’s underperformance, as at least one A523 failed to finish 10 out of the 22 grand prix on this years calendar. But even when its troublesome power unit held up, Alpine’s lack of pace forced it to compete in the midfield.

A mid-season reshuffle at Spa — where Alpine announced the departure of Otmar Szafnauer, Alan Permane and Pat Fry — did little to right the ship, but signs of improvement at COTA, Interlagos and Las Vegas at least ensured the Enstone marque wouldn’t fall any further down the running order.

 

2024: A critical season 

With so many changes occurring throughout the 2023 season, 2024 may provide a major indication as the weather any of them have paid off.

From a driver standpoint, the team may be secure, with Gasly and Ocon showing immense amounts of talent throughout the season despite being were held back by the limits of their machinery and their own misfortune. Both Frenchman are signed onto long term deals with the team and together may provide a powerful foundation on which to build.

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After the departure of Szafnauer in July, Alpine has decided not to replace him with another big-time team principal. Instead, Philippe Krief has given similar responsibilities to Bruno Famin, who will continue in the role this season.

Attention appears to have switched to the new car well before the end of last season. Ocon revealed that he had been testing simulator models prior to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in September. Nevertheless, despite his enthusiasm, the Frenchman remained speculative.

“We’ve been able to tackle some issues and to have some early feedback,” he said. “Obviously the team is very well aware of where they have to go, in terms of improving the current situation, but until you put the car down [on track], you don’t really know where that’s going to be exactly.

“We can compare the two cars, it’s been interesting, but there’s still going to be months of development and wind tunnel time during the winter, and that’s going to be different to how we test the car at the shakedown but also different to how it starts at the first race.”

 

Alpine 2023 F1 driver line-up

Pierre Gasly headshot Alpine
Esteban Ocon Pierre Gasly 
  • Esteban Ocon signed a contract extension with Alpine in 2021, keeping him with the team until 2025.
  • After leaving AlphaTauri in 2023, Pierre Gasly joined Alpine and signed a multi-year deal.

 

Key personnel

Team principal: Bruno Famin

Much like many of the high-end staff at Enstone, Bruno Famin is a fairly new addition — joining the team ahead of the 2022 F1 season. In 2023, he was promoted to vice president of Alpine motorsports under new CEO Philippe Krief and later assumed the responsibilities of team principal as well as overseeing the development of the Renault power unit.

Prior to his time in F1, Famin acted as the technical director of Peugeot Sport — playing seminal roles in the Le Mans winning 908 project and Sebastian Loeb’s 2023 Pikes Peak victory. Between 2015 and 2018, the Frenchman also oversaw success in three Dakar Rally victories as well as the 2015 World Rallycross Championship.

 

Sporting director: Julian Rouse

A newly-created position in Alpine to fill the gap left by last year’s departures, Rouse will be tasked with co-ordinating the smooth running of race weekends. He was previously director of the Alpine Academy, which he joined after a long career as team manager in several single-seat series, as well as in GT programmes.

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