2024 Alpine F1 Team

[Jambier]

As I thought. Corporates are as bad as government when it comes to bloating departments with excess or irrelevant personnel and adding departments to do very little work of a specific type that was just handled as part of another group.

Well, corporates can have 30% that can be fired, but government is about 80%

[Foryster]

It’s good to see that when engine performance is not the biggest factor that the chassis design is actually quite good. Kudos to the team, it’s promising as soon as the change engine supplier.
(Not withstanding the great performance of Ocon and Gasly).

I wouldn't tell that chassis design is quite good. They barely managed to match Haas and Vcarb - their pure pace is quite similar. Ok, it means that their chassis it better, what comprehents lack in power. But still they lack od clear 1 second to top 4 teams and only 0,2 is due to engine.

If you want to be in the midfield then yes, this chassis is quite good. If you want to attack further, its not enough.

[CaribouBread]

BWT Alpine Formula One Team and Mercedes-Benz sign Power Unit and Gearbox agreements. From 26 onwards up to at least 2030.

[stephen]

BWT Alpine Formula One Team and Mercedes-Benz sign Power Unit and Gearbox agreements. From 26 onwards up to at least 2030.

It was always always going to happen, Renault engine is just far too slow compared to others.

[LHamilton]

I do wonder if this might have to do with Alpine thinking that the 2026 regs wont be a good experience overall, and not only for them themselves. What I mean by that is, is that I wonder if Alpine might be thinking that the 2026 engine regs might be scrapped quicker than expected. The reason for this is that the regs have not been welcomed with a lot of enthusiasm from drivers and probably engineers.

The fear of that drivers having to change down gear(s) in the middle of a straight to recharge batteries, maybe more fuel saving etc. All things that could affect the racing to a degree that a lot of people dont seem it feasable to continue with it. And who knows what problems (or lack there of) might occur (or not occur) in the future.

All very much speculation, of course. But if Alpine have these thoughts in mind, they might have a case for not putting vast amount of money into an engine development that they dont believe in, that perhaps wont last very much long at all.

Personally, I go into 2026 with trepidation. I fear it might not be a good way to go with F1. But lets see.. And perhaps my fears, along with drivers and the like, have influenced my thinking in regards to the matter of Alpine.

You also have three well respected drivers that are on the precipice of retireing. Alonso & Hamilton primarily, but perhaps also Verstappen. (You could also put Hulkenberg as a potential retiree, but most people wouldnt care if he did, so not really apt in this conversation.) Three drivers that would leave, at this moment in time, quite a hole to fill if they were to retire close to 2026/2027, citing regulations as a factor in their decision(s). Again, worse case scenario. Perhaps none if these will come true.

[Jambier]

Well I think you are partially right.

- 2026 engine rules are bad, even F1 knows it.
- It will be later replaced with way cheaper and simpler engines with e-fuel, hence green engine but with no battery (or small one)

But the hard truth is also this ==> Alpine will not do good in the futur, they will only do EV, all European brands are in bad shape, so what they did with Viry and Enstone tells a clear story:

- there is no whatever it cost to win policy
- the policy is: cheaper speed possible, less people, customer engine and try to do podiums with that (nothing more)

It also allows to sell quickly the team if needed.

But yes definitely a « wait and see » period and if sky becomes clearer why not come back again

[TeamKoolGreen]

I do wonder if this might have to do with Alpine thinking that the 2026 regs wont be a good experience overall, and not only for them themselves. What I mean by that is, is that I wonder if Alpine might be thinking that the 2026 engine regs might be scrapped quicker than expected. The reason for this is that the regs have not been welcomed with a lot of enthusiasm from drivers and probably engineers.

The fear of that drivers having to change down gear(s) in the middle of a straight to recharge batteries, maybe more fuel saving etc. All things that could affect the racing to a degree that a lot of people dont seem it feasable to continue with it. And who knows what problems (or lack there of) might occur (or not occur) in the future.

All very much speculation, of course. But if Alpine have these thoughts in mind, they might have a case for not putting vast amount of money into an engine development that they dont believe in, that perhaps wont last very much long at all.

Personally, I go into 2026 with trepidation. I fear it might not be a good way to go with F1. But lets see.. And perhaps my fears, along with drivers and the like, have influenced my thinking in regards to the matter of Alpine.

You also have three well respected drivers that are on the precipice of retireing. Alonso & Hamilton primarily, but perhaps also Verstappen. (You could also put Hulkenberg as a potential retiree, but most people wouldnt care if he did, so not really apt in this conversation.) Three drivers that would leave, at this moment in time, quite a hole to fill if they were to retire close to 2026/2027, citing regulations as a factor in their decision(s). Again, worse case scenario. Perhaps none if these will come true.

They know that the 2026 regs are just an even more expensive and even more complicated double down on the 2014 regs. Which they had nothing to show for but tire tracks on their back. But it was partly their own fault for being a staunch driver of those regs in the first place.

[TeamKoolGreen]

https://x.com/Formula_Nerds/status/1856789490871767107

"Ok… the plot thickens with regard to the Alpine rumours earlier.

We have heard tonight from a very trusted source (which we cannot name) that the Alpine could disappear and be replaced with the name HiTech!

Oakes would remain. That’s all we know, more sure will follow. #F1"

[Jambier]

https://x.com/Formula_Nerds/status/1856789490871767107

"Ok… the plot thickens with regard to the Alpine rumours earlier.

We have heard tonight from a very trusted source (which we cannot name) that the Alpine could disappear and be replaced with the name HiTech!

Oakes would remain. That’s all we know, more sure will follow. #F1"

Why ? What is the point ?

- if they sell the team, yes, name will change
- if they don’t they have a highly valuable place in F1, with viewer around the world, and now with customer engine it will basically cost them very little to be in f1

Conclusion: The Alpine name will stay.
But.
It is likely that they are looking for others partners, they already sold 26% last year, so having an « Alpine Hitech F1 Team » would be no surprise.

Question mark is: what do they want, still be managing this team, or just having the Alpine name on it hence keeping minority of stakes.

It could end like the « Alfa Romeo F1 team » or something like that in worst case scenario

[TeamKoolGreen]

^ Yeah. I hope they stay as Alpine. I like the aesthetic of the team. Plus it would be a loss to F1 to lose an unmistakably French team. If I was F1, I would do anything I can to support the team to keep them in the series.

[mzso]

What I don't get is why they shut down the Viry engine division, instead of just downsizing it to less prestigious (and costly) projects, for which it could have earned its keep.

[F1NAC]

^ Yeah. I hope they stay as Alpine. I like the aesthetic of the team. Plus it would be a loss to F1 to lose an unmistakably French team. If I was F1, I would do anything I can to support the team to keep them in the series.

But that won't be a french team anymore? It will be British team again as PreRenault 2016