In 2021, Alpine became a race winner. However, the last few seasons have made that race feel like a distant memory. In my opinion, Alpine is a mess of its own making.
2021: Promising Signs
Ocon took his first victory in a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix back in 2021
2021. The year that Esteban Ocon won his first race in a thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix. Holding off greats such as Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton to mark a first win for Alpine. Meanwhile, his teammate Fernando Alonso scored his first podium for the team in F1’s inaugural race in Qatar and his first since Hungary in 2014. With new technical regulations beckoning in 2022, there seemed to be signs of hope for the Enstone team for the future.
2022: New Era, New Problems
On paper, Alpine had a solid season. It became king of the midfield and finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, 14 points ahead of McLaren. However, to say it wasn’t plain sailing is an understatement. For starters, Alonso was performing at a high level despite his age. Still, reliability problems in Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Singapore proved costly in the intra-team battle with Ocon, during which tensions flared often.
When the silly season arrived during summer break, Alpine made two big mistakes. The first was insisting on giving Alonso a 1-year deal. This backfired on them as Alonso signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin, replacing the retiring Sebastian Vettel. The second big mistake was creating the Oscar Piastri transfer scandal. They announced that the former F2 Champion had been signed to the team, only for Piastri to announce that he hadn’t signed the contract. He chose McLaren, so Alpine lost two big talents in the space in a few weeks.
2023: In No Man’s Land
The next option? Pierre Gasly. A decision that had chaos written all over it. Yes, both drivers were close to each other and achieved brilliant podiums in Monaco and Zandvoort, but that gets overshadowed by the popular narrative of their chequered past on their route to the pinnacle. The inevitable collisions occurred in Australia and Hungary, resulting in their falling behind the top 5 teams. They ended the season in a lonely 6th, showing regression from the previous year.
2024: On the Back Foot
2024 looks to be no sign of genuine progress or the French outfit. Pre-season testing revealed that they were running the slowest car on the grid. However, introducing upgrades leads to their first points finish of the season, with Ocon finishing 10th. Ocon had the edge over his teammate, but the inevitable collision happened again on the first lap in Monaco. Ocon sent it inside Gasly at Portier, resulting in Ocon being sent airborne.
Gasly salvaged a point whilst Ocon didn’t get past the first lap. Team Principal Bruno Famin said that there “will be appropriate consequences.” The final verdict was a damning one for Ocon, as it was announced that he would leave the team at the end of the season.
From becoming race winners in 2021 to scoring 2 points in 8 races, Alpine has seen a steep decline down the pecking order, and it is frustrating to watch. The driver lineups they have seen are very talented drivers.
However, that can only get them so far if they keep fighting themselves. The chaos on track mirrors the chaos behind the scenes, with an almost constant change of personnel, such as Alain Prost and Otmar Szafnauer, leaving the team quickly. There is still plenty of racing this year, but Alpine has found itself in its mess.