While the team is making its best start since 2010, the embryonic battle between its two drivers reminds us that all is not always very rosy.
«Life in pink“, enthused Luca de Meo, the boss of the Renault Group, during the presentation of the Alpine A522 at the end of February. A nod to its new title sponsor (BWT) or a premonition? At a time when the paddock flies to Melbourne, back on the calendar after two years of absence, the Dieppe team has been full of confidence. Melbourne, Albert Park and its usual set of uncertainties at the start of the season. Except that this year, the Australian Grand Prix is no longer the first but the third round of the season, and Alpine is coming “down under” with a blue livery back, but also and above all with a lot of certainties.
A success symbolized by a fourth place in the constructors’ standings and a whopping 16 points synonymous with the team’s best start since 2010.I am satisfied, we have a single-seater which seems well born and which shows great promise“, rejoices the Team Principal Laurent Rossi, questioned by Auto Weekly . Illustrated promises on the track for the double arrival in the points of Esteban Ocon (7e) and Fernando Alonso (9e) during the first grand prix in Bahrain, then by the equally convincing weekend of the first city in Saudi Arabia (5e in qualifying, 6e at the arrival).
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development race
All after remaining in the shadows during pre-season testing. “We weren’t particularly worried during pre-season testing, assures Rossi. We are in a development situation until the last minute. This involved developing parts until the end of testing and having some available for testing.“It remains to be seen where the margin of innovation is located for the tricolor team, whose development is generally less flashy than the main strengths of the paddock over the course of the season.
Dominant forces, starting with Mercedes, which the Enstone team therefore manages to dominate on the track. Or at least compete. “When it comes to race pace, they are clearly ahead of ustempers new team principal Otmar Szafnauer about the world champion team. It will take several more races to define where we are in the hierarchy, it is a development race.»
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A development that should be hardly invisible in Australia, given the short timeframes involved with the teams’ long travel. Alpine will certainly have a new card to play on the revamped Melbourne route, right in the middle of a (for the moment) fairly homogeneous plateau since the new regulations, as the promoters… and Fernando Alonso hoped.
Ocon-Alonso: other battles to come?
Returning to Formula 1 last year with the 2022 revolution in the visor, the Taurus of Asturias walks his bonhomie on his side of the garage and does not hesitate to scrap with the other. Starting behind Ocon in Jeddah, the Spaniard came to show his rhythm to the exhausts of his teammate on the track. This was followed by a battle of pink single-seaters, whose sometimes borderline side evokes the memory of the fratricidal duel between Ocon and Sergio Perez in 2017 and 2018. A treat for the spectator, less for its decision-makers?
«We told ’em we’d let ’em fightconfirmed Szafnauer, follower of the “let them race“, after the race. This is what fans want to see. In addition, it was clean, we made the show!» A show which was however lacking for the team with the return of the pursuing cars before finally the retirement on technical incident for Alonso. “It was a normal battle, I was a bit faster than him, we have to respect each other to get the best results for the team“, agreed the double world champion in Jeddah, at the microphone of Canal+.
“We could run if there was not too much contact and that’s what we didassured a few minutes later Ocon, still at the microphone of the broadcaster. It’s good because it boosts the performance of the team and we have to continue like that.“Elements of courteous and invariable language since the association of the two drivers at the start of last season. Obviously, unity is strength. But until when ?