Alpine have launched what they say is an “innovative” and “aggressive” new car – but have held back from making predictions about its performance.
The French team slipped to sixth in the constructors’ championship in 2023 after finishing fourth the year before.
Team principal Bruno Famin said: “We need to continue to improve the team to take it to the next level.
“Progress is never linear. That’s why we will not declare any numerical targets.”
Alpine underwent major internal upheaval in 2023, with a series of management changes taking place.
The team scored two podium finishes last season, one for Esteban Ocon in Monaco and a second for Pierre Gasly at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Ocon, who has driven the new car in the simulator, said he was hopeful Alpine could improve on that tally this season.
“We aim to achieve great things together this season,” the 27-year-old Frenchman said. “Of course, moments like our podium in Monaco last season is a great reward for everyone in the team and having more performances like that is a natural objective.”
Gasly, 28, was more circumspect. “I never like to set personal targets until I see what we have in our hands,” he said. “These things are dependent on the package and the performance we have.
“If you ask any Formula 1 driver or elite athlete, they will say: ‘I want to win,’ but there is always more to it than that. We have to be patient and see where we stand with the new car on the track.”
The two Frenchman, both from Normandy, are former friends who had a falling out some years ago.
Last year, when Gasly joined Ocon at the team, they delivered on their pledge that they would work well together – notwithstanding a few flash points about team orders, especially at the Japanese Grand Prix – and Famin underlined the importance of maintaining that approach.
“We expect them to continue working collaboratively with the team in improving the overall dynamic,” he said.
Technical director Matt Harman said the new car, designated the A524, incorporated “many big changes”.
It continues Alpine’s pursuit of the Red Bull-originated design philosophy of heavily undercut sidepods.
But Harman said the car had a new rear suspension, improved front suspension, and incorporated extensive work on thermal management of the brakes – a key area in F1 because the brakes transmit heat to the Pirelli tyres, which are prone to overheating and losing performance if not managed carefully.
Suspension performance is also critical because it defines the relationship of the airflow between the floor and track. Red Bull’s expertise in this area is believed to be a key explanation for their dominance since the current rules were introduced in 2022.
Harman added that the underfloor, a key area in these cars that use venturi designs to create underbody downforce, had been rethought.
“Of course, the floor is a big performance differentiator on these cars and we have opted for an aggressive approach on development in that area to cover a lot of different concepts and really express ourselves,” Harman said.
“We have also changed the front wing and nose to manage airflow at the front of the car.
“By applying these changes, we are giving ourselves much wider scope to add performance across the next two seasons even if there has been some compromise on reaching certain targets, which we have pushed to the limit.
“We must keep pushing this dynamic development across all areas of the team.”
Alpine have also launched their 2024 endurance racing programme, which Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 champion Michael, is dove-tailing with his role as Mercedes F1 reserve driver.
Schumacher, who has said he is determined to re-establish his F1 career after being dropped by Haas after two seasons at the end of 2022, said: “The move was quite clear. The closest [category] to F1 but also a holding project. Everyone really keen to get going and it really sparked the flavour in me.”