Pierre Gasly aware of the situationAlpine : “I remain realistic”

Despite the great ambitions displayed in recent years, rarely Alpine had attacked a season in such an atmosphere. After the only three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain last week, rumors in the corridors indicate internal pessimism regarding the A524, the latest creation from the Viry-Châtillon and enstone.

If the rumors are to be believed, the latter would be poorly born, thus carrying numerous faults which would not allow it, at present, to live up to the ambitions of the leaders of A fléché. Bruno Famin, main team of the Blues, did not hide when debriefing the winter tests, recognizing the difficulties ofAlpine.

« We know where we stand, he said. We expect a challenging start to the year as we continue to learn more about our A524 and develop it throughout the season. » The reality is such that, according to the data collected by the official F1 website, the A524 appears more than a second behind the lap Red Bull RB20 both in qualifying pace and in race simulation. This would place the French team around 7^e-8^e position among the Manufacturers. Other specialists only see it in front Haas and therefore in penultimate place in the peloton. Far, very far from the expected objectives.

The harsh reality ofAlpine

On the side of the pilots, those who were really able to see that the A524 did not meet their expectations, the speech is hardly different from that of their boss. Hot last week, Esteban Ocon had already been very honest in admitting the delay of the French team a few days before kick-off. Pierre Gasly is on the same wavelength as his compatriot before tackling the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain this weekend (February 29-March 2).

« We had three days of very intense testing last week, he emphasizes. We just focused on ourselves, did our own program without too much stress and did a lot of testing as we learned about our entire package.

I think it will take us a little time to unlock the performance we expect from the car, but that's no surprise considering it's a new concept. I remain realistic. I know our beginnings will not be easy, but the most important thing is to continue to identify key areas of work, learn and progress. » Aware of the team's current difficulties, Pierre Gasly nevertheless maintains a unifying speech. Without doubt the best way to move forward in these moments when it is often difficult to see the end of the tunnel.

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