Waiting to see first-hand on tarmac where they stand compared to their rivals for pure performance, Alpine rejoices in being able to use tools from their other sections to help them on their way to the top.
Formula 1 will take a 180º turn in 2022 that will be reflected in a really innovative regulation that breaks with everything seen to date: aerodynamically simplified single-seaters with the firm intention of allowing the drivers to fight each other on the track more easily, without the turbulence of the car in front preventing the attack of its pursuer.
Will this change the established grid order? Will smaller teams be able to reduce the huge performance gap that currently exists against Red Bull or Mercedes?
In Alpine they managed to close 2021 as the fifth best team in the constructors’ championship in their first official year in Formula 1, beating an AlphaTauri that failed to take advantage of its superiority on the weekends that were ahead of the French, with a podium and a victory that delighted the fans of the French formation.
state-of-the-art technology
In an increasingly computerized world, in full digital age, Formula 1 teams are forced to make the most of their scarce track time, relying on a virtual platform where they work day and night.
“We have the stability offered by the Renault Group for 5-10 years of constant financing, and also the assets”, commented Laurent Rossi, emphasizing a section of their work base that they will be able to take advantage of thanks to their road car section: the artificial intelligence.
“At Groupe Renault we have top quality artificial intelligence learning scientists, something that has been used for the last 20 years”
“The fact that Formula 1 is moving more and more towards less physical tests, with more and more simulations and data analytics, at Groupe Renault we have world-class artificial intelligence learning scientists, something that has been used in the last 20 years everywhere: in the manufacturing part, in the marketing…”, detailed Rossi.
“We can call them in and have them on board to help us bring a new layer to the strategy, for example during the race or data analysis. All this can help us reduce the distance with those above. and potentially outperform others,” he added.
favorable limit
As he already hinted at the beginning of the year, the Alpine project will culminate in two or three years, at which time they will be in a position to aspire to everything. «We want to win races and possibly a championship, that by the end of 2024 or 2025, depending on when the regulation ends,” Rossi repeated.
For this, the new budget limit of 140 million dollars that seems insufficient for AlphaTauri to match the grid will play a fundamental role that Alpine fervently supports.
“I believe that we have all the tools to achieve it in the specific environment. We reset performance, everyone starts from scratch and we work under the same constraints. Even if some teams work together or have better resources, let’s not hide behind a number, since it is more or less the same game. It will be a little easier for us to fight, “said Rossi.
«It is not that we put 200 million and they 500; plus or minus 200 is fine, we can do it. Then we will be able to draw on the experience of five years in Formula 1 as a works team, with the engine and the chassis. We can do a much better job of integrating a powerful engine into the chassis.”