F1 News: Alfa Romeo Sacrifices Current Development With Huge Change For 2024

The Alfa Romeo F1 team has declared its intention to construct an entirely new car for the 2024 Formula 1 season, moving away from its current design. This change is a response to the team's recent struggles, as they currently sit in ninth place in the constructors' standings.

Key Takeaways:

• Alfa Romeo has decided to abandon its current car concept in favour of a completely new design for the 2024 season. This move comes after a series of disappointing performances, with the team garnering just four points in the last 13 rounds.
• Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi highlighted the C43's limitations, especially its lack of grip in high-speed corners. Despite strong qualifying showings, drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have struggled to score points.
• The team is preparing for its transition into the Audi Formula 1 team in 2026. Andreas Seidl, the CEO, has recruited James Key as the new technical director, signaling a strategic shift and optimism for the future.

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Alfa Romeo's decision to build a 'completely new car' for the 2024 season marks a pivotal moment in the team's trajectory. The decision is a direct response to the team's ongoing struggles in the current season, where they have accumulated only four points in the last 13 rounds, leaving them languishing in ninth place in the constructors’ standings.

Despite showing promise in recent qualifying sessions, drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have found it challenging to translate these performances into race points. Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the Team Representative, has acknowledged the shortcomings of the current C43 concept. Bravi's statement, "We simply miss some performance during the race. We need to investigate and to understand this because this has been a recurring problem during this season," underscores the team's dilemma.

Bravi further elaborated on the technical issues plaguing the team, emphasising the need for comprehensive solutions. The lack of grip, particularly in high-speed corners, has been pinpointed as a critical weakness. This technical insight has propelled the team's decision to pursue a radically new design approach.

The upcoming changes are not just limited to the car's design. The team is undergoing a significant transition as it moves towards becoming the Audi Formula 1 team in 2026. This strategic shift is marked by the appointment of Andreas Seidl as the CEO and James Key, a former colleague from McLaren, as the new technical director. Bravi continued: 

"We are really happy about having James on board. Next year's car will not be an evolution of this year's car, because we think that there are some limits in this concept that we cannot exploit further."

Bravi concluded:

"We are working hard; the group is growing. We have new appointments that are joining, and that will be able to contribute also to next year's car, but the answer will be given to all of us next year in Bahrain."

A change in concept so late into the current regulations could put the team on the back foot moving forward with the other teams around them building upon the concepts from 2023.