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Alpine did the "unthinkable" with 6th in the Constructors' Championship: Gasly

Alpine Pierre Gasly Esteban Ocon Alpine F1 Team Haas

An often painful 2024 Formula 1 season has come to a remarkable end for Alpine. With Pierre Gasly's seventh placed finish in the season finale in Abu Dhabi securing the team six points, the French team clinched sixth place in the constructors' championship, ahead of Haas F1 Team, RB, Williams, and Sauber.

Speaking to reporters after the race, Gasly said he was “extremely happy,” admitting that a sixth-placed finish would have seemed “unthinkable” earlier in the season.

The 28-year-old also noted how the peaks and troughs of this season have been extreme, adding that the start to the year had been “very tough for all of us in the team with an underperforming car.”

Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team, Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team, at the drivers parade at the Qatar GP. (Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images)

Such an outcome looked all but impossible back in the spring, after Alpine’s disastrous start to the season. Through the first five rounds of the 2024 championship, neither Gasly nor his now-former teammate Esteban Ocon had managed a top-10 finish.

While there were signs of a mid-season resurgence with a string of ninth and tenth-placed finishes, it turned out there were more stormy tides spent at the back of the field to follow before the team could finally reemerge with a podium challenger.

The true turning point came in Sao Paulo when Ocon finished second and Gasly third for Alpine’s first-ever double podium. For Gasly, a fifth-placed finish in Qatar followed by Sunday’s excellent effort in Abu Dhabi capped off an excellent finish to what was a challenging year.

Three targets

“Coming here, there were three targets: to get sixth in the constructors, tenth in the drivers, and keep my nose clean so we’re still on $0 [in] damage,” he said. “And, yeah, we completed all the targets.”

Gasly, who remarkably avoided any self-inflicted crash damage this season, finished just one point above Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg in the driver’s standings.

Ocon, who was dropped in favor of his 2025 replacement Jack Doohan for Abu Dhabi, finished 14th in the drivers' standings.

2025 will mark Gasly's third season with the team where he will continue his chase for a sixth F1 podium and second career win. Meanwhile, Ocon is set to join Haas, where he'll partner Ferrari youngster Oliver Bearman.

Photos from Abu Dhabi GP Race

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Mario Isola, Head of Pirelli Motorsport, presents Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, with the Pirelli Pole Man of the Year Award

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Alex Albon, Williams Racing Team, girlfriend Lily Muni He

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, with Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, during the 2024 drivers line up

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

The 2024 drivers line up on the grid for an end of season photograph

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Brad Pitt on the grid for filming of the F1 movie

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Former cricketer Chris Gayle visits the Aston Martin garage

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Jackie Stewart, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Franco Colapinto, Williams Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Departing drivers Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, receive an ovation from colleagues

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Alex Albon, Williams Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, on the grid

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, on the grid

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager, Scuderia Ferrari, Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, on the grid with the Constructors Championship trophy prior to the start

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, the rest of the field at the start

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524, the rest of the field at the start

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, spins on track after a collision with Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38 (not pictured)

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Smoke fills the air as Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, at the start

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, the remainder of the field

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, on the formation lap

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, celebrates with donuts after the race

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

The McLaren team celebrate

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, celebrates on the grid at the end of the race

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, sprays Champagne on the podium

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, 2nd position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, celebrate on the podium with Champagne

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, 2nd position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, 3rd position, on the podium

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem film a scene for the F1 movie on the podium

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, 2nd position, pours Champagne over Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, on the podium

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team, the McLaren team celebrate after securing the Constructors title

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing,rea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team, the McLaren team celebrate after securing the Constructors title

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, the McLaren team celebrate after securing the Constructors Championship title

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, the McLaren team celebrate securing the Constructors Championship title

2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sunday

Formula 1

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Anthony Wood

Formula 1

Pierre Gasly

Alpine

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