While both teams are far apart in the constructors’ championship, the last race has shown that the Alpine A522 in the hands of Fernando Alonso can be a realistic target to aim for.
Throughout these first nine races of the season, Alpine he has shown enough speed to challenge Mercedes in some circumstances. However, the reigning constructors’ champion has generally been faster and, above all, more consistent and reliable.
And it is that the general classification does not lie: Mercedes adds 188 pointswhile Alpine has only 57. This makes it impossible for the Anglo-French team to aspire to third place, although it can get fourth in a tough battle with McLaren.
Say Alpine when you mean Alonso
It happened in Australia before (until a breakdown messed everything up) and it happened again in Canada. Until, once again, an engine problem and also some bad luck prevented Alpine from fighting for the podium.
Alpine or Fernando Alonso? The reality is that the Spanish driver is showing himself to be much superior to Esteban Ocon this year and only worse reliability, bad luck and some penalties prevent the two-time champion from having more points in the general classification.
Loading tweet…
1538586801790517249
Without going any further, in Montreal Fernando Alonso exhibited more than enough pace to keep at bay Lewis Hamilton in the fight for the podium. Until the engine gave problems. Then came the ill-timed safety cars and a penalty. The result? Esteban Ocon sixth and Alonso ninth.
“They were good points. Without the safety car it might have been a bit better, but you can’t control that,” says Otmar Szafnauer, recalling the weekend in Montreal. «The pace of the car in the wet was good; the rhythm of the dry car, we thought that we would not be as fast as the Ferraris and the Red Bulls, but as fast as the Mercedes». At least that of Fernando Alonso.
“But in the championship in general, we are not going to win them, we are not going to finish third. We have to be realistic. So, in the fight for fourth place, I’m very happy to have scored a lot of points.”reflects Szafnauer, who sees Alpine approaching eight points from McLaren, a team that currently holds that fourth position.
Hopefully at Silverstone we will fight Mercedes again.. We are a couple of tenths away from them, which is good. At least Fernando Alonso.
Font: GP Fans
/
Photos: Alpine F1 Team