After complicating life between teammates already in the first meters, Fernando Alonso suffered again with Esteban Ocon while McLaren accounted for both Alpines in a race in which in the end they added up equally.
snorting After some 70 laps in which he could hardly do anything to placate the constant onslaught of faster drivers who came from behind after having suffered an atypical classification due to mechanical problems, especially the Red Bulls, Fernando Alonso arrived at the corralito congratulating that the holidays were finally beginning.
From 6th to 8th, when the hard tire made them fall even outside the points zone, the #14 sweated like never before from the first meters. Coming out on the dirty side, Alonso saw how, once again, his own teammate blocked his path even on a couple of occasions at the first change.
“I could be 20 seconds ahead of Norris, but to keep the tires alive I have to…”
“Never, never in my life have I seen a defense like Esteban’s”the Spanish Alpine pilot reported by radio to a wall that saw practically a repetition of what happened in Jeddah between the two when they almost touched each other with the danger that this entails.
bitter vacation
“Every point costs”Alonso stated as soon as he reached the microphone area, aware that he is still separated by 17 points from Esteban Ocon at this end of the first half of the season.
«This year again a race that we started in a good position has cost us to score points. The 8th good, after much struggle. One stop we knew it was going to be complicated and to the limit, and that’s how it was. This rain at the end, the truth is that it brought a lot of stress when we didn’t need it, but happy, “he added.
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His scuffle with Ocon began at the start, with some evasive maneuvers that freed him from touch. «I had to lift in turn 1, in turn 2 and then in turn 5 especially, which was outside of him. It was pretty aggressive on that first lap, but I got up and so we don’t touch», confessed Alonso.
«In the end he let me pass and we finished 8th and 9th. It wouldn’t have changed much for the team, the important thing is to be close to McLaren; Today we have added the same points as them in a fairly complicated race, so in the end I think the result was positive”, continued the Asturian.
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When they had passed the first third of the race, a new clash between the two allowed Daniel Ricciardo to account for the two Alpines without too many problems. «Could be 20 seconds ahead of Norrisbut to keep the tires alive I have to…» Alonso pointed out several laps later when he was held up by an Ocon who finally gave him the position.
«We have had an intense July with 4 races in 5 weekends. Rest a bit, the team too, the mechanics… In the end, we come from Thursday to Sunday, but the people who disassemble and assemble the garageforever back to backthe truth is that they deserve a little rest», Alonso concluded.