Pierre Gasly says Alpine has the speed to compete with its F1 frontrunning rivals just ahead, but insists the French outfit needs "consistency" and "better execution" to reach its targets.
Alpine struggled to put together clean weekends in the opening races of 2023, with missteps and a lack of lack of attention to detail often weighing on its results.
The team's disappointing performances led to a public dressing down by Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi to threaten changes at Enstone if the F1 outfit didn't get its act together.
In the wake of Rossi's reprimand, the team reacted well, with a double-points finish in Miami and a remarkable podium in Monaco, courtesy of Esteban Ocon, followed by another double top-ten in Spain.
However, Gasly feels that his side of the Alpine garage could have performed better in the Principality and last time out in Barcelona.
"Some mixed feelings after the last two races in Monaco and Spain," Gasly said in his column on Formula1.com. "Firstly, I was super pleased for the team and Esteban to record a podium in Monaco.
"It just shows that when we get things right, all the small details, as well as having some fortune on our side, we have what it takes to seize opportunities ahead of us and come away with a big reward.
"Of course that result was tinged with some frustration on my side as I know there was a much bigger outcome than seventh place for that race.
"We know we have it in our hands and I know I have it in me to come back with this type of result. I’m confident we’ll have some more shots at the podium this season."
Ahead of its 2023 campaign, Alpine set itself the goal of finishing at least fourth in F1's Constructors' standings. That target still stands for the Enstone squad.
But Gasly says better execution is required if the team aspires to fight with Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari, considering that Red Bull remains out of reach.
"As we’ve seen, there’s a big difference between qualifying and race results across these teams and each race there is some variety," explained the 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner.
"Right now, we are at the back of this pack, but with the ability to throw our name into the ring – as we showed in Monaco and at times in Spain.
"Finding consistency will be key to reaching our goals and really competing with these teams.
"There have been far too many races where I have the speed but without the end result to show for it - Australia, Monaco and Spain spring to mind - and we are working with the team to fix some minor details, execute better weekends and do a more complete job.
"That’s the reason why I’m feeling confident and satisfied right now. I know the ingredients are there, we just have to mix them the right way!"
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