The new season started badly for Alpine. They were the slowest team at all three rounds so far, and on two occasions the A524 proved no quicker than its predecessor.
The team embarked on a significant change of design concept this year and believe they have not managed to extract the best from it yet. Part of the problem is getting the car down to the 798 kilogram minimum weight limit, which is why it has run with so little paint so far.
Since the season began Alpine has lost further senior members of its design team, including Matt Harman who was the technical director when the A524 was delivered. Team principal Bruno Famin has installed new management in the design department which is charged with addressing the A524’s shortcomings.
Alpine has introduced its first update under the new leadership at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend. Although it describes the change as a modest step, it is aiming to both lighten the car and improve its aerodynamic balance, which promises to be a win-win if they have got it right.
The most noticeable change to the A524 is its front wing, all elements of which have been revised compared to the version used since the start of the season (above).
In particular the outer edges of the upper flaps have been trimmed back. The team the “more offloaded outboard front wing” design will give “an efficient drag saving compared to the previous wing.”
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Like Red Bull, Alpine have also paid attention to their front brake ducts, reducing their dimensions to improve aerodynamic efficiency at a track where the brakes are not heavily used. The change has been designed to complement the new front wing shape. Some blanking was left in place when the team presented the car at Suzuka (below).
The team is also using a conventional non-biplane beam wing design. This “offloads the beam wing and top rear wing to increase load in the floor compared to the previous version,” says the team.
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The cool conditions in the opening practice session made it difficult for the team to assess the improvements made by the upgrade, said team principal Bruno Famin.
“They were struggling more with the tyre warming than evaluating the upgrade,” he said. “We know it’s not a major…
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