David Sanchez, the new Technical Director of Alpine F1, has outlined the team’s future development plans. The A524 will continue to evolve following the updates introduced in Belgium, with Sanchez and his engineers working tirelessly for the remaining races of the season.
“What you see today, all the changes are updates for the entire season, not specific to a particular circuit,” said Sanchez. “There’s just a new rear wing that isn’t on the car yet and is specific to a certain circuit.”
“The rest, including the evolution of the front wing, bodywork, and rear brake ducts, is usable everywhere. The rear wing we might test, depending on conditions, is the one Alpine will use here, at Monza, and in Las Vegas.”
Initially, the updates introduced at Spa were supposed to arrive in Zandvoort. Although Alpine didn’t announce it, Sanchez confirms that they had to work extra hard to bring this package: “I wouldn’t say it was rushed, but it was certainly pushed very hard.”
A final package is expected after the summer break, which will likely serve for 2025: “I think the first thing to do is find more downforce and try to eliminate some of the anomalies we might see with the current car.”
“This package is mainly aimed at increasing aerodynamic downforce. It’s the first step. We have another one that will be more significant and will serve as the basis for next year.”
“So, we will do more on this year’s car. We’ve been working on the Spa evolution since day one. The other is an extension that allows us to use a little more time to go further,” continues Sanchez, who assures that this package will arrive “a few races after the break.”
Regardless of Alpine’s future, amidst rumors of Viry’s closure, Sanchez is confident about Enstone: “From an infrastructure perspective, the team was already well advanced in its projects. We reviewed together whether we should prioritize some elements over others.”
“I think where we are today, the plan we have, if I look at 2026 and beyond, we should be in a good position. Now, the most important thing is to move things in the right direction with this car and the next, and to strengthen the team’s confidence.”