SAKHIR, Bahrain — Alpine’s season started as badly as preseason testing suggested it would but drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly issued the team a rallying cry after the first qualifying session of the year.
Alpine finished sixth in 2023 but looked to have plummeted down the pecking order on the basis of preseason testing last week.
The team’s worst fears were confirmed on Friday evening as its drivers qualified at the back of the grid.
While driving to the pits, Ocon told the team over his race radio: “Only Round One. We keep pushing. We keep pushing. I’ve got faith in you guys.”
The French team’s car for the new season featured a radically different design concept to its 2023 predecessor.
Alpine will hope to replicate the example McLaren set last year — the British team looked to be in crisis mode 12 months ago at the Bahrain Grand Prix, only to emerge as the second quickest team behind Red Bull after introducing a mid-season upgrade.
Ocon reiterated his faith in the team, which won two world titles as Renault in 2005 and 2006, after the session.
“I don’t think it was a surprise unfortunately,” he said. “Looking at testing we could start to have clues — we were not sure, but the reality is today, that’s where we are.
“But as I said in my radio message, I have faith in that team; that team, some years ago, were champions, these ideas were created in the same places, in Enstone and in Viry, and it can be done. We need to stay all united, all motivated and it’s important that we go in the same line and we keep the chin up.
“We need to be progressing otherwise it’s going to be a long year. So that’s today, that’s the reality.”
Teammate Gasly, who qualified 20th, added: “We have to be patient. It’s only the first qualifying and we know that car is not providing the potential that we believe there is in that car.
“Time will tell whether it was the right approach. But I trust the guys, I know what they’re finding, we know we got time to find in many different areas, not only like specifically in a specific department.
“So, we will have to be patient and be objective after a couple of races.”
Gasly, starting his second season with the team, said there are plenty of things happening away from the race track keeping his spirits up.
“You got to compare what’s comparable,” he said. “I think, at the minute, it doesn’t really make sense to compare…
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