Alpine boss Bruno Famin has outlined ways the squad is mitigating its engine troubles under Formula 1’s current development freeze on power unit performance
Alpine’s Renault E-Tech power unit is widely considered to be the weakest on the F1 grid in comparison to the Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull Honda power units.
Last term, Alpine requested the FIA to consider engine equalisation across the manufacturers to slash its deficit, with the engine freeze set to continue through 2025.
However, the Anglo-French marque elected to drop the request and instead switch focus towards ensuring that it is at parity with its rival supplier in the new regulations.
Famin admitted at the launch of Alpine’s 2024 car, the A524, that whilst its power unit is down on the competition, there are ways the team has been combatting the issue.
“The pure ICE [Internal Combustion Engine] is a bit down, we know why,” Famin said. “We made it public, FIA made it public first.
“We are a bit down, but we can also work [on] the integration, we can work on the software, we can work on the cooling.
“We are working on all of that and we will see where we are with the competitors.”
Engine issues aside, Alpine’s overall package saw it fall short of expectations in 2023, prompting a front-to-back overhaul with its radical 2024 design.
Famin notes that it is the overall package at the end of the day that will improve performance, no matter what the engine is powering it forward.
“At the end of the story, what we need is a good car, whatever is the engine,” he added.
“We have to improve the engine, but we have to improve the chassis, we have to improve the aero, we have to improve our understanding of the tyre, everything.
“And it’s all together we need to improve for sure.”
So whilst the engine development freeze prohibits radical rethinking regarding the power unit, Alpine has been hard at work making changes elsewhere.
The A524 has a redesigned chassis, a new rear suspension system, a refined front suspension system, a new heat rejection system and changes to the thermal management of its brake system.
In addition, Alpine has focussed on a redevelopment of the floor and introduced a changed front wing and nose.
