Famin Reports Progress at Alpine, Challenges Remain

According to Bruno Famin, Alpine F1 is showing improvement, yet issues with reliability and performance persist.

Alpine F1 is progressing, but not enough yet, according to Bruno Famin, the director of the Enstone team.

After three challenging races for the A524 and its two drivers, the Frenchman acknowledges that his team must do “better” although some positives have been noted.

“After a week of reflection and debriefing at the factory, we are leaving the mid-season European triple-header with positives, including our performance throughout the weekend in Spain, and harsh lessons, such as our entire weekend at Silverstone.”

“We need to do better. We must address recurring reliability issues and enhance the car’s performance. We demonstrated in Spain that our overall level is improving, and it will undoubtedly continue to progress. The entire team is working tirelessly on this.”

There are still two Grands Prix to go before the summer break, the first on the soil of the team’s last victory, in Hungary, three years ago.

“It’s an intense time in the Formula 1 calendar as we head to Budapest, then to Spa for a double-header before the summer break.”

“These two circuits are very different. Budapest features smooth and fast corners where we run with a lot of downforce while Spa offers high-speed curves and long straights where the compromise on aerodynamic efficiency is one of the key performance differentiators.”

“Budapest promises to be scorching with high temperatures to contend with. We aim for a strong showing throughout the weekend to make our return to the points.”

Ocon Prepares for Hungary with Intense Simulator Work

Ahead of the Hungary GP, Ocon intensively trains on the simulator, highlighting it as one of his preferred circuits.

That win in Hungary was the 50th for Enstone under its various guises post-Toleman: Benetton (27), Renault (20), Lotus (2), and Alpine (1). And since then, nothing…

The Frenchman, who will leave Alpine F1 at the end of the season, hopes to reconnect with good memories in Budapest after a rather poor weekend in Great Britain.

“Our execution at Silverstone was flawed. We made too many mistakes as a team and were fighting a losing battle from the start. Things worsened during the race, where we failed to optimize our strategy, leading us to fall back in the standings.”

“This week, I was at Enstone working hard on the simulator for Hungary. I have great memories with the team, starting with our 2021 victory, and we want to come back stronger after a forgettable weekend at Silverstone.”

“The Hungarian Grand Prix will always be special to me as it was where I claimed my first victory, and also the team’s first under the Alpine name. It’s one of my favorite circuits on the calendar, and I always enjoy racing there. It’s a beautiful track to drive with strong downforce in smooth and tight sequences. Overtaking can be tricky, and the only real opportunities are in the first sector. This places more emphasis on maximizing performance in qualifying.”

“The weather is expected to be extremely hot, so strategy will be key in managing the tires effectively. I’m looking forward to diving back into the atmosphere of Budapest, a city that warmly welcomes Formula 1 and where the fans always provide the necessary energy.”