Bruno Famin concerned over Alpine’s A524 engine lacking power after FIA’s strict regulations

While Alpine may relatively have a new name in Formula One, its roots trace back to 1977, signifying a longstanding presence in the industry. Despite facing numerous challenges, the team achieved a commendable sixth position in the constructors’ standings.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the team principal acknowledged the substantial gap in their power engines and emphasized a dedicated effort to address and improve this aspect.

Bruno Famin talks on Alpine’s engine concerns

Recently, Alpine has been facing a significant hurdle in their improvement procedure, with the F1 team encountering a lack of assistance from other teams to enhance and narrow the power deficit, as discussed with the F1 Committee in July of the previous season.

As the FIA carefully examined Alpine’s engine, they identified a “significant performance gap,” which ultimately ranged from approximately 20 to 33 bhp compared to Ferrari, Mercedes, and Honda. At the launch event of their  A524 car, team boss Bruno Famin elaborated on the urgency of reducing the gap by providing more opportunities for their team to flourish before the start of the season.

He exclusively told the media “We were lacking on the recovery side, and we are still lacking. Because with the regulation the way it is, we are trying to improve that because we are able to homologate new software per year now.”

“This is something we have worked on to try and reduce the gap a bit, but there will be no major differences with the previous year because the power unit is frozen. We can we can play a bit on the MGU-H but that’s all.”

Is Alpine’s deal with Andretti still on?

Initially, Alpine had struck a deal with Andretti about providing customer engines until the American team’s own Cadillac power unit was introduced. This was part of their partnership with General Motors, which was ready to settle in the 2028 season.

However, Alpine has recently expressed no intention of collaborating with Andretti, especially since their entry into the F1 team has been declined until the 2025–2026 season. Alpine’s team boss has strongly stated that their partnership will only be initiated again when the team has stable ground and an ultimate confirmation to enter the industry in the near future.

Do you think Alpine will finally be able to secure a higher position in the standings for the 2024 season with their new car? Or will their condition be worse than before? Tell us about your opinions in the comment section below.