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Pierre Gasly has admitted that Alpine effectively halted development on its 2024 Formula 1 car months ago, as the Enstone-based team shifts focus to future projects and the major 2026 regulation overhaul. The Frenchman says the decision explains Alpine’s recent lack of pace but believes the long-term vision is worth the sacrifice.
“Development stopped a while ago”
Since the summer break, Alpine’s performance has stagnated. Rivals such as McLaren, Aston Martin and Haas have continued to introduce new parts, while Alpine’s A524 has remained largely unchanged. Gasly confirmed during media duties in São Paulo that the reason is simple: resources have been redirected.
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“Realistically, development stopped a while ago,” he told Canal+. “Since Spa we’ve been focused almost entirely on next year’s concept and beyond. We knew the updates we had weren’t enough to close the gap, so it made sense to invest in the future.”
The team’s last major aerodynamic upgrade arrived before the Belgian Grand Prix, and since then Alpine has failed to score consistently. “It’s frustrating as a driver,” Gasly admitted, “but you have to look at the bigger picture. We can’t waste energy on small steps that don’t change our position.”
Preparing for a new era
The 2026 technical regulations will bring sweeping changes to both aerodynamics and power-unit design, and Alpine is determined not to repeat the missteps that left it trailing the midfield this year. Technical director Matt Harman confirmed that wind-tunnel time and CFD capacity have been diverted to early concept work for the 2026 car.
“The power-unit integration and chassis layout will be completely different,” he said. “We’re building towards that from now. It’s the right decision, even if it costs us short-term results.”
Alpine’s long-term goal is clear: to return to the front of the field as a works manufacturer. Gasly, who joined the team from AlphaTauri in 2023, says he supports the strategic pause. “We’ve seen how teams like McLaren turned things around by committing early to a new direction. That’s what we need to do too.”
Growing frustration inside the team
Despite the focus on the future, morale within Alpine has been tested. Teammate Esteban Ocon described recent weekends as “mentally tough”, while Gasly himself expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in race trim. The Frenchman nonetheless insists the team’s unity remains strong. “It’s easy to criticise from the outside,” he said. “Inside, everyone knows what we’re working towards. The results don’t show it yet, but the structure is changing.”
Eyes on 2025 and beyond
For the rest of this season, Alpine’s target is modest — staying ahead of Williams and Sauber in the Constructors’ Championship. Beyond that, attention will shift fully to refining the 2025 car as a transitional step toward 2026.
“It’s about building momentum,” Gasly said. “The next few months are crucial. If we get the foundations right, we can come back much stronger.”
Alpine’s short-term pain, it seems, is all part of a calculated long game. Whether it pays off will only become clear when Formula 1’s new era begins.
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