Alpine Interim Formula 1 boss Bruno Famin believes the contrast in results it attained at Monza and Las Vegas illustrates the progress the team made during 2023.
The Enstone squad endured an arduous start to the past season, resulting in erstwhile Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Permane departing.
Famin, involved with Alpine since 2022, transitioned into a temporary team boss role, with his first race at the helm seeing Pierre Gasly stand on the podium in Zandvoort.
However, Alpine experienced a torrid weekend at Monza, where the team’s engine deficit and inadequate low-downforce package witnessed both drivers exit in Q1.
But on a similar high-speed configuration of circuit in Las Vegas at the penultimate round, Gasly secured fourth in qualifying before Esteban Ocon classified fifth in the race.
Famin admits he was impressed with the team’s reaction to its struggles at the Italian Grand Prix and reveals its Vegas turnaround was inspired by introducing new aero parts.
“I think we can see one very good example where I have been very pleased is the Vegas result,” Famin told Autosport. “Not for the fourth place – okay, we’re happy to be fifth in quali and fourth in the race – but by the fact that Monza was very bad, it was a very bad result.
“But we took the time to analyse why, what happened, where have we been wrong there, and immediately to propose new things, because Vegas was quite similar in some points.
“We were at risk in Vegas, if we were not doing things. Immediately the team reacted, proposed some aero evolution, developed it, produced it, and we had it on the car. Just in time, but we had it, and it worked.
“Before it would have been okay, we are 17 in Monza, we are 17.”
Famin recently criticised the old regime for placing a ceiling on the team’s potential by instilling a working philosophy within the Alpine ranks that wasn’t “daring” enough.
Having vied to alter that mindset, Famin was satisfied that the Anglo-French marque’s emphatic Vegas showing illustrated the strides already being made on that front.
“But now we had a very strong reaction and a very positive reaction, and it paid off,” he continued.
“The position at the end, the final result is the attitude which was very good. It’s an example of things that already changed.”
Despite Ocon achieving that sizeable points haul, Alpine remained rooted to a lonely sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, 160 points behind Aston Martin in fifth.
Earlier this year, the FIA conducted research into the current power units and discovered that the Renault engine lagged 20-33hp behind Ferrari, Honda and Mercedes.
But despite the sport’s governing body supporting an engine equalisation program to allow Renault to bridge the deficit, Alpine has elected to focus on the 2026 regulations.
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