Fernando Alonso: Alpine F1 has no reason to look bad

MDP Live - Fernando Alonso claims Alpine's preparation for F1 2022 is much better than before, despite the chaos in the executive ranks. So there is no reason for them to be inconsistent.

The restructuring of the French team continued earlier this year. They parted ways with executive director Marcin Budkowski and team consultant Alain Prost.

CEO Laurent Rossi sees Alpine on the right track. Alonso is also optimistic about the 2022 season even though not all problems have been resolved.

"Our problems are not completely resolved, but everyone will have a different opinion. It's clear that, with the experience of working for different teams, I can see some sides where we are weak and where we are strong.

“You always try to make the team stronger and better prepared for the 2022 season. I think we are in better form now than at the end of March, before the race in Bahrain.

"It's just that there are still some things that I believe must be improved. I think we need to close the gap from the engine side. That is the background of this project and we also have to address gaps in aerodynamic performance.”

Alonso was reluctant to discuss in more detail the differences in the car's performance that he felt.

"It's hard to say what the difference is, so now there is only one hope, but I understand that hope is shared by every team. It's not just about us and what we're going to find this year are uncharted areas."

The signal for the revival of the team that was previously named Renault has been seen since last season. They managed to lead Esteban Ocon to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In the future, with new technical regulations and the application of a budget cap of 123 million euros (around Rp. 2 trillion), the team's strength will at least be equal. Supposedly, Alpine can compete with top teams like Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Ferrari and McLaren.

"I am optimistic, we have the right resources and we have the commitment of Luca de Meo, Laurent Rossi and management leaders committed to Formula 1," Alonso continued.

“Budget restrictions should help because there are no limits for the top teams. Now, more or less, the budget is the same for everyone and it's up to us to build a car for them. If not, we will learn from our mistakes.

"There will be no more comments, 'our budget is smaller' or 'we lack resources' or 'they use two wind tunnels'. There is no such thing anymore. It all depends on us.”

Esteban Ocon Learned A Lot From Fernando Alonso

MDP Live - Fernando Alonso taught Esteban Ocon a lot in their first season as team-mates at Alpine.

Alonso made his second Formula 1 debut with Alpine last season after a two-year absence from jet racing.

The man from Spain was in tandem with the young driver, who had also been an F1 driver by driving a Mercedes-engined car.

The collaboration between the two was very successful, seen when Ocon won the Hungarian Grand Prix after El Plan helped block Lewis Hamilton's pace.

Both drivers also helped Alpine finish the season fifth in the final constructors' standings.

Ocon said after his win in Hungary, concerns about the potential problems he could face with Alonso in the team proved unfounded.

The French driver said he was very comfortable with the two-time F1 world champion, as he told Motorsport.com about their collaboration.

"He is a great racer and very fast. He's the fastest team-mate I've had so far," said Ocon.

“I am very happy to be working with him, but I have also learned a lot from him. I feel Fernando's way of thinking is out of the ordinary, which some other drivers don't think about.

“It pushes the limits of strategy on how we can optimize everything, so in that respect, for sure I have learned a lot.

"Likewise in the race, I feel I have gained a lot from him, seeing the first laps. It's something I've always done.

"I always followed what he was doing and towards the end of the season. I always get a good position and do a great first lap.

"So, I think it's an advantage to be able to work with a legend like him."

Alonso also praised Ocon after a season working together, saying the 25-year-old's pace helped him to find his best again.

Alonso may have a seven-point lead over Ocon in the standings at the end of the season, but they have an equal number in qualifying.

"I did put him as a reference at the start of the year, and I'm happy to see that I matched him in terms of pace and we pushed each other," said Spaniard.

"In the end, it gave the team as much as we could. We also often extract everything from the packages we have. So, that's great.”