F1 | Alpine A524: belly with scoop and multi link suspension

It is a great manufacturer that has to get back on track after a difficult 2023: Alpine sank to sixth place in the team world championship also behind McLaren and Aston Martin, after having been solidly fourth, also recording an exaggerated gap in points: it was doubled by the “verdona” and tripled by the “papaya”. The president of the Renault Group, Luca De Meo, will hope for an elevator ride back up, but Bruno Famin, the pragmatic French team principal, did not want to indicate objectives.

Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

A clear signal that says a lot about the A524, the new single-seater that was presented in Enstone together with the Alpine destined for the WEC, in an unusual combination that enhances the eclectic nature of the brand. The technical director, Matt Harman, insists that solutions have been taken to extremes to propose a single-seater that is capable of expressing its true potential.

Alpine's 2024 organizational chart

First name	Role
Bruno Famin	Alpine Motorsport Director and Team Principal
Matt Harman	Chassis technical director in Enstone
Eric Meignan	Engine technical director in Viry Chatillon
Julian Rouse	Sports director
Matthieu Dubois	Head of Strategy
Rob Cherry	Race Team Manager
Ciaron Pilbeam	Chief of track engineers
Josh Peckett	Race engineer by Esteban Ocon
John Howard	Track engineer by Pierre Gasly

Alpine has modernized the Enstone (chassis) and Viry Chatillon (engine) factories to bring the greats of F1 closer together, but growth will not be easy. The A524 project was born at the end of 2022 when the technical management was entrusted to staff who no longer exist. It should not be surprising, therefore, if among the three single-seaters presented it is the one least similar to the Red Bull RB19, maintaining its own identity.

Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

New bodyshell: the minimum weight is sought

The car, in reality, is completely new starting from the bodywork: the driver's position seems to be moved slightly further back compared to last year. The chassis has been lightened with the ambition of finally reaching the weight limit of 798 kg. The lower anti-intrusion cone has been brought to the height of the bottom to free the undercut which has become larger under the mouth of the radiators to bring an increased flow towards the floor.

Alpine A524, detail of the radiator mouth which also has a vertical development

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Radiator mouth also vertical!

The front section of the radiator intake is not extreme even if in front of it there is an attempt at a tray that recalls the Red Bull concepts, but it is curious to observe that there is also a vertical section of the intake that goes down the frame: a an option that had never been seen on ground effect cars.

The side, like the Sauber C44, has a wing shape in the lower part and remains decidedly raised from the bottom, a sign that the cooling system of the Renault E-Tech RE24 power unit has been completely revised.

Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

New frame packaging – PU

Last year the Alpine lacked aerodynamic efficiency: the gills that had to be opened even on the fastest tracks like Monza, testified to the hunger for air of the Parisian 6-cylinder turbo. From this point of view, a lot of work has also been done in the packaging between the chassis and power unit with greater cleanliness of the whole.

The difference from Haas and Sauber is that the belly is not sloping, but maintains the Grand Canyon: the horizontal external wall which serves to keep away the turbulence generated by the front wheel remains evident, while inside the deep excavation which already characterized the A523. The aerodynamic concept, therefore, has not been revolutionized, but evolved.

Two L-shaped flaps on the mirrors

Don't miss the gem on the mirror: above the rear-view mirror, in fact, there are two small L-shaped flow diverters. A solution that had never been seen before to clean the air destined for the rear wing.

Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

The nose is more pointed

The nose is new and is more hollowed out in the lower part to increase the flow under the chassis, while the nose has been slightly lengthened and becomes pointed when it rests on the first element of the front wing. The trapezoidal main profile becomes very long rope towards the side bulkhead, as the three flaps connect to the endplate very far behind, following a trend that was launched by the Mercedes W14.

Front suspension: the two triangles inclined

The front suspension has remained a push rod layout: compared to the A523, the front arm of the upper triangle has been brought to the limit of the frame, while the second element is decidedly lower to favor the anti-dive effect, i.e. the sinking of the detached muzzle. The lower triangle also seeks the same effect with an unusual inclination. The steering arm is low and creates a blow with the most advanced element of the triangle.

Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

Rear push with multi link

At the rear, the rear suspension is completely new and has remained faithful to the push rod, with the internal mechanisms placed high up in the gearbox, while the upper arms are multi-link: they are offset in favor of anti-squat and are located behind to the strut. Below, the convergence lever appears to be pivoted to the rear deformable structure. This is an important change aimed at making the A524 less sensitive to height variations in load transfers and the hope is to open the window for tire exploitation.

Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

Bazooka with an exaggerated hot air vent

The airbox remained square in shape with two square ears on the sides of the double roll bar which is not triangular. The bonnet retains an important body given that underneath is the gearbox radiator: the small hot air vents at the tail of the crest have been maintained, but the extraction of the heat produced by the power unit essentially takes place at the tail of the eye-catching bazooka . The vent is huge, but there's the option to tighten the hood and keep a few gills open.