Gasly defends Alpine concept change

Pierre Gasly has defended Alpine's decision to introduce an entirely new concept this season, with the Frenchman understanding why it was done. 

Alpine's new concept has struggled this season, with the Enstone-based team having started the year as the slowest outfit. 

The team has improved the A524 throughout the 14 completed rounds and has risen to eighth in the constructors' championship on 11 points, although still looks set to fall comfortably short of its finishing position the past two seasons. 

Alpine finished fourth in 2022 and sixth last year, with the latter position only being possible with a strong final 10 races this season.

Despite the French team's disappointing season so far, Gasly continues to believe that the outfit's decision to introduce a new concept made sense. 

"I think it's performance-related. Last year the team felt that it got to the end of the development with their car concept," Gasly told Autosport.

"As we missed our targets, they're like, 'do we want to go for another year where we know we'll probably be stuck to where we are?' And they said, we want more than that, so, we'll try something else.

"Which to me, I think was the right choice. We're not in Formula 1 to be satisfied with the sixth place in the constructors'."

Gasly remaining optimistic

Alpine has slipped comfortably behind both RB and Haas in the constructors' championship, with the team's battle really being to maintain eighth against Williams. 

Haas sits 16 points ahead of Alpine in seventh and look out of reach, unless a significant points haul is enjoyed by the team led now by Oliver Oakes. 

Whilst the A524 might not be the best car Gasly has driven since joining Alpine, he remains impressed with the team's work levels, which he rates as higher than when he joined last year. 

"Unfortunately, it didn't pay out with the directions that you know they took with the car concept we have this year, but nonetheless, I still think the way the team's operating is at a better level than when I arrived," Gasly added.

"So, it's a matter of bringing that performance onto the car, which is obviously not easy, but I know we've got good directions already for next season, which will put us in a better place and with the sort and processes and the people and what they've built and kept working, I can feel that there'll be something good coming out of it."