Alpine targets ‘clipping at the heels’ of F1 front-runners

Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes is setting an ambitious yet grounded target for the Anglo-French outfit: to lead the fiercely contested midfield while “clipping at the heels” of the sport’s elite teams.

After a rollercoaster 2024 season that saw Alpine claw its way from the back of the grid to a respectable sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, Oakes is determined to build on that late momentum and establish the team as a consistent thorn in the side of the top contenders.

The 2024 season began with Alpine’s aspirations of dominating the midfield quickly unraveling. Pre-season testing and the opening race exposed the team’s shortcomings, leaving them languishing at the rear of the field this time last year.

However, Flavio Briatore’s appointment in June as executive advisor – at the behest of Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, followed by Oakes’ arrival at Enstone in August marked a turning point for Alpine.

Aided by a late development programme and a stunning double podium in Brazil, Alpine surged through the final rounds of the championship to conclude its campaign P6 in the Constructors’ standings

Now, Oakes is intent on picking up where that late charge left off.

A Realistic Yet Bold Vision

The consensus in the paddock is for this year’s field to continue its convergence, which will inevitably lead to even tighter competition among the leaders but also among the challengers.

Asked if Alpine could join the conversation among F1’s established quartet of McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes, Oakes offered a measured yet optimistic response.

“I’m trying to think what I say, because otherwise you sound like you’re not positive,” he told the media in Bahrain, quoted by Motorsport Week.

“But I think, if I’m honest, I think always you can see those front teams that are a step ahead. I think our target is to continue where we ended up at the end of last year, which is we kind of want to be clipping at the heels of those teams.

"That’s not to say we’re defeatist, but we’re also quite humbled that it’s bloody close as well.”

For Oakes, the goal isn’t to leapfrog the sport’s giants overnight but to position Alpine as a relentless pursuer, capitalizing on the tight competition that defines modern Formula 1.

The midfield battle, already a cauldron of intensity in 2024, promises to be even more ferocious this year, with four or five teams potentially vying for fifth place behind the leading pack.

Lessons from 2024’s Turnaround

Alpine’s 2024 campaign offers a blueprint for Oakes’ vision. After outpacing Haas and Racing Bulls to secure sixth in the Constructors’ standings, the team narrowly missed catching Aston Martin, whose early-season strength faded as the year progressed.

Meanwhile, Williams’ impressive showing in recent testing hints at another challenger in the mix. For Oakes, success in 2025 hinges on sustaining the momentum that defined Alpine’s second half of last year.

“I think continuing the second part of last year and I say that a little bit hesitantly, because I think it’s so competitive in that midfield,” Oakes said of his season target.

“And I think the whole grid bunching up, I think the swing of circuits as well.

“Obviously, I didn’t do the first part of last year, so going back to some of those tracks where I haven’t been and haven’t seen how the team performed firsthand.

“But I think we feel confident where we ended last year, we want to start this year on that same footing. And I think hopefully after these test days, we’re looking in good shape.”

Navigating a Crowded Field

With the grid tighter than ever, Oakes acknowledges the challenges ahead. The variability of circuit performance and the unpredictability of a bunched-up field mean Alpine must be adaptable and consistent.

Oakes, having missed the early struggles of 2024, eagerly anticipates tackling the full calendar with a car and team he believes are primed for progress.

As the season looms, Alpine’s aspirations under Oakes’ leadership are clear: to reign supreme in the midfield and nip at the heels of Formula 1’s titans.

It’s a goal that balances ambition with realism, rooted in the team’s late-2024 resurgence and fueled by a determination to prove they belong.

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