Trouble looms large for Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly as Alpine could start the F1 season at a massive backfoot: Reports

Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly could be up for a tumultuous 2024 season as early results signal troubles for the French outfit.

After a rollercoaster off-season, Formula 1 was finally back for on-grid action in Bahrain. On Thursday, February 29, drivers entered the grid for the first time since the 2023 Abu Dhabi GP, competing in the season's first Practice race at Bahrain International Circuit.

While surprises unfolded with RB's Daniel Ricciardo clocking a time of 1:32.869, worrying signs pertained for French outfit Alpine. Esteban Ocon finished the FP1 17th with a time of 1:35.144, meanwhile, teammate Pierre Gasly followed suit at 18th.

According to an analysis from Last Word On Sports, the Enstone-based team is marred with several concerning factors plaguing its performance. Despite concerted efforts to enhance the efficiency of the Renault power unit, the team grapples with an overweight car, compounded by the burden of a carbon-heavy livery and the car's aerodynamic performance.

These limitations are estimated to cost the A524 a significant deficit of approximately five-tenths per lap. These are concerning signs for the French duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who could be in line for a lackluster campaign in 2024.

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Esteban Ocon knows that Alpine is "slightly on the back foot" heading into the 2024 season

Ocon acknowledged the team's precarious position following pre-season testing in Bahrain. He stated (via formula1.com):

"We know we’re entering this season slightly on the back foot with the new car concept and the team is working incredibly hard to bring more performance to the car in the coming races."

"The test session in Bahrain was extremely valuable and we learnt a lot about the new car and its characteristics. The car improved from the first to the last day in testing, so we’re hoping to see similar improvements over the course of the race weekend."

Despite the looming troubles, Esteban Ocon emphasized the need to maximize the Alpine A524's potential to salvage results amid adversity. He said:

"We know what we’re working with heading into the opening race of the season, and we must extract the maximum from our package to give us the best possible chance of coming away with something from the weekend."

While Alpine managed to finish sixth in the 2023 season despite the mid-season sacking of Otmar Szafnauer and the appointment of Bruno Famin, early signs suggest that the team could be in some serious trouble in 2024. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the French outfit as the campaign progresses.