The Enstone-based outfit has taken several blows in recent months with Fernando Alonso announcing his move to Aston Martin for 2023 and reserve driver Oscar Piastri turning down his seat to switch teams to McLaren.
That has left Alpine without a second driver and they are currently looking for a new team-mate for Esteban Ocon, with AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly remaining first choice as long as Red Bull finds a reliable replacement.
While the French-related driver market controversies have dominated the headlines all winter, CEO Laurent Rossi and team principal Otmar Szafnauer say it has had no impact on their goals.
That is why Rossi is convinced that the goal they set for themselves last year (to fight on the front row after their first 100 races as an Alpine) has not changed at any time.
“For now, the goal remains the same because we keep the same course [until the end of the year] with Fernando, so that’s fine,” Rossi said.
“I would say we should be able to just get over that bump in the road, because the most important thing is the car at this stage.”
“Imagine you put Max Verstappen in a car that’s about to be 18th or 19th, I doubt he’s going to do much better. And the other way around: if you take the driver of that car and put him in Red Bull, I’m pretty sure that can get a podium or a victory”.
“So yes, ultimately, the car is still the biggest performance factor at the moment. In that sense, we’re delivering,” said the Enstone-based managing director.
Alpine is currently fourth in the constructors’ championship and is set to introduce a new floor at the Singapore Grand Prix which should be a “huge” step forward in performance, according to sporting director Alan Permane .
Alpine’s progress on the track is what has made Rossi so convinced that he can achieve his goals despite the latest complications.
“We have made the right changes, the team is focused and the plan is clear,” he said. “Also, we are reinforcing it. So that is always going to be the most important thing: the car has to perform.”
“The driver is going to get two or three tenths more at most, which in races can be super important, but the difference between third and fourth is much more than that”.
“So for now our priority is still to deliver on the car, and the good news is that it looks like we have a good concept, with updates that constantly improve performance,” Alpine ‘s concluded.
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