Pierre Gasly — 2024 season

Pierre Gasly's 2024 Formula 1 season with Alpine was a testament to perseverance, marked by a significant mid-season turnaround for both driver and team. Entering the season, the ground-effect era regulations had seen the field begin to converge, yet Alpine found themselves struggling for pace, a stark contrast to the dominant Red Bull campaigns of 2022 and 2023.

Going In

Gasly, a veteran of the sport since 2017, began 2024 with the Alpine F1 Team facing considerable headwinds. The A524 chassis proved difficult from the outset, evident in early results like a 20th-place grid start and an 18th-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The initial rounds were a struggle for points, with a gearbox failure leading to a DNF on the first lap of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and no points scored through the first seven races. This period highlighted the fundamental challenges Alpine faced in extracting performance from their package in the highly competitive midfield.

How it Played Out

The narrative shifted significantly as the season progressed. Gasly's first points arrived at the Monaco Grand Prix, securing 10th place from a 10th-place grid start. This marked a turning point, initiating a consistent run of points finishes that included a 9th at the Canadian Grand Prix, another 9th at the Spanish Grand Prix, and a 10th at the Austrian Grand Prix. These results demonstrated Gasly's ability to maximize the car's potential when opportunities arose. However, reliability issues persisted, with further DNFs due to gearbox failure at Silverstone and hydraulics at the Hungaroring, followed by an engine failure in Las Vegas.

The latter part of the season saw Alpine, and Gasly in particular, find a more competitive stride. A strong 9th-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix hinted at improved form. The true highlight arrived at the São Paulo Grand Prix, where Gasly delivered a 3rd-place podium finish, a significant achievement given the team's earlier struggles. This momentum carried into the final races, with a 5th-place finish in Qatar and a 7th in Abu Dhabi, showcasing a dramatically improved performance trajectory. By season's end, Gasly had amassed 42 points, securing 10th position in the Drivers' Championship, with one podium finish and four DNFs across 24 races.

Defining Moments

Gasly's season was defined by two distinct phases. The early struggles, particularly the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, underscored the initial difficulties. However, the consistent points scoring from Monaco through Austria, often from mid-grid starts, demonstrated his capacity for extracting results even when the car was not a front-runner. The undisputed defining moment was the podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix. This result was not merely a stroke of luck but the culmination of persistent development and Gasly's strategic driving, providing a much-needed morale boost for Alpine and a clear demonstration of his enduring talent.