P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alpine: You won’t beat Red Bull F1 team by copying it
According to Matt Harman, the Technical Director of Alpine F1, the team has a good understanding of what made Red Bull’s car competitive in 2023, as well as other fast cars on the grid. However, he believes that this knowledge should only serve as inspiration for Alpine’s own direction, as they need to make significant improvements after finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship. Harman emphasizes that they cannot simply follow other teams if they want to be in front of them and that they need to find their own way.
Heading into this season, all teams face the challenge of creating cars that will also form the basis of their 2025 challengers because the all-new rules for 2026 will become the focus of development. Harman highlights the importance of looking beyond the cars currently on the grid and aiming for a two-year horizon, considering that a car designed based on current standards will be outdated by 2025.
Harman admits that the architecture of the A523 limited some planned developments last season but they have been incorporated into the design of the 2024 car. He mentions that the team has identified strengths in their current car, but they are focused on improving rather than boasting about their achievements.
