Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon to reportedly start 2024 F1 season on the back foot

Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon's team, Alpine, will reportedly have a slow start to the 2024 F1 season. This is mainly because of the drastic car concept changes on their 2024 F1 car and their new development platform.

According to formu1a.uno, Alpine have brought major changes to the car's chassis, transmission, cooling system, suspensions, and more. The French team's overall aim is to use 2024 to create a new development platform, which can then help them in 2025 and beyond. The Italian media also reported that the team could see improvements in their pace after bringing upgrades in the mid-season.

This does not bode well for Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. However, their team's slow start could be made up for in the future, provided they create a successful development plan and bring strong upgrade packages.

Alpine finished sixth in the 2023 F1 season and scored just 120 points, which was a massive step back from 2022, when they finished fourth with 173 points. Hence, they are trying to bounce back from their slump in 2024.

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Pierre Gasly feels Alpine could fight at the front in F1

Pierre Gasly believes Alpine is the right team for him which can fight at the front of the grid.

As quoted by Motorsportweek, Gasly stated that he is eager to see how the new 2024 F1 car performs. He shared his goal of fighting at the front of the pack and that the French team could help him achieve it.

The Frenchman believes that he has good experience and is aiming to fight for race wins and podiums.

“I think the situation is pretty clear, but at the moment I just want to see what this car is capable of. Ultimately my goal is to fight at the front. I believe it’s possible with Alpine. I’m 28, good experience, I’m in my prime and that’s what I’m working for. I want to fight for wins, for podiums and be up there,” said Gasly.

For the Enstone-based outfit to fight at the front of the grid, the team needs to be at the level to compete with rivals such as McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari.

After 2022, Gasly left Visa CashApp RB (formerly AlphaTauri) to join Alpine alongside Esteban Ocon. In his first season with the French team, he outscored Ocon and secured 11th place in the drivers' table with 62 points.