Alpine at Suzuka lighter and with a new front wing

Suzuka in spring

Unlike all other editions of the history of Japanese Grand Prix, the 2024 world championship will be the first to include the Japanese race weekend in the spring on the calendar, and not in the traditional autumn placement between the end of September and the beginning of November. A real novelty, such as Renault has rarely seen today Alpinein serious difficulty at the start of the championship.

Alpine looking for redemption

In fact, in the first three races of the world championship, the French team she failed to score any points world champion, thus occupying the lowest area of ​​the Constructors' standings together with Williams and Sauber, who were also at zero. It is therefore obvious that Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly will do everything possible to occupy the top-10 at Suzuka, while at the same time trying for a qualifying position as close as possible to Q3. As team principal Bruno Famin stated in Japan, Alpine will bring a new front wing and will be lighter overall as a car compared to the first three races. A 'package' of updates defined as not substantial, but important to direct the development of the single-seater.

Ocon's love for Suzuka

That's what he hopes for Esteban Oconfresh from reaching Q2 in Australia but 16th at the finish line: “Suzuka is often described as a favorite of drivers and fans, and I can say that is definitely true – explained the person who came close to the podium here in 2022 – for me it is the best circuit on the calendar and it's a place I love to come back and drive to every year. There are many things I like about the circuit, particularly the first sector, which is incredibly fast and smooth, with no time to catch your breath. One corner follows another quickly, and one mistake can compromise the entire lap. The level of precision and commitment that makes it particularly rewarding. It's an old school circuit which punishes mistakes and is rich in history. This, together with the fans, makes it a point of reference for F1.”

Alpine with updates

Japan also has a special place in the heart of Pierre Gaslywho before making his F1 debut played a season in Super Formula, becoming vice-champion in 2017: “I have to say that I love going to Japan and racing on the Suzuka super circuit – declared the Frenchman, 13th in Melbourne – practically all drivers love Suzuka because It's fast, has challenging corner combinations and offers overtaking opportunities, so the races are usually very nice. Japan will always be special to me, as I spent a lot of time there when I was racing in Super Formula. The fans are fantastic, very warm, polite and make the event very special. We hope to be able to go there this weekend with an improvement in our performances. We've made some small updates to the car, so I'm looking forward to testing them in practice and carrying them forward for the rest of the weekend.”