With the engine development freeze period already underway, it is vital for the riders to have achieved a good level of performance at the start of the season. Fernando Alonso has valued what Renault has achieved.
in the new Formula 1 of 2022, the teams have had to almost completely renew their cars, as the technical regulations have changed from top to bottom. Of course, the engine has remained practically the same.
But that has not meant that motorists have been satisfied with updating the propellants of 2021. In fact, the arrival of the new E10 gasoline and the arrival of the developmental freeze period until 2025 has forced some and others to make an additional effort.
“I think I could be sixth or seventh in the championship”
Even more so in the case of Ferrari and Renault, given the need for both to recover the ground lost in the last two seasons. Their respective 2022 engines are brand new and, while the Italian power unit has proven its worth in these first two races, there are more doubts with the French.
Performance and reliability
Fernando Alonso was asked about it after his abandonment in Jeddah Corniche, to which he replied that, “Right now, I think we’re on the same level as everyone else.. We have been able to fight on the straights, both here and in Bahrain.”
“Unfortunately, we are also still investigating what happened to the engine in Bahrain and what happened in Jeddahwe need to make sure we have enough units for the whole year.”
David Moreno and Adrián Fernández analyze the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
And it is that, although the Alpine have been competitive in top speed measurements, they have also seen how the two units mounted on Fernando Alonso’s car have caused problems. The one from Saudi Arabia even forced him to leave when he was sixth.
Laurent Rossi already said that this year the priority would be to produce a competitive engine, even if that meant having to assume a mechanical reliability that could be improved over time. And that is the only assumption that freezing development allows to evolve.
Alpine, at the top of the grid
On a more general level, the truth is that Alpine cannot be unhappy with the level of performance shown at the start of the season, as it is fourth in the constructors’ championship and sees Mercedes as an accessible rival for third position.
“I’m happy with the performance,” says Fernando Alonso. “Honestly, I think I could be sixth or seventh in the championship, but it’s not like that.. And it’s not because we don’t deserve it, it’s because we haven’t gotten the maximum points. I think we’ve lost too many points.”
This year, rivals like McLaren and Aston Martin have run out of steam and new ones have arrived. Alonso sees it this way: “The Alfa Romeo, it seems a bit quicker in places. El Haas was very fast in Bahrain. And Russell was not bad in Jeddah, but not exceptional. So here we are and it’s up to us to progress.”
“We are not necessarily the third fastest, but apparently we are able to be consistent and without the abandonment we could have done sixth and seventh, “concludes Alonso in reference to the last race in Jeddah.
Source: motorsport.com
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Photos: Alpine F1 Team