Alpine goes against Esteban Occon’s advice to ‘remain humble’, claims they will surpass Mercedes and challenge Ferrari for podium
Alpine's sporting director Alan Permabe confidently asserts that they will ‘be ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari,’ following the Monaco GP podium
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Lewis Hamilton (Left, credits: Sports Illustrated) and Esteban Ocon (Right, credits: Motorsports Week)
Alpine’s sporting director, Alan Permane, has made a bold proclamation that reverberates through the Formula 1 community. Permane confidently asserts that Alpine is poised to regularly finish ahead of Mercedes, setting their sights on challenging Ferrari. This claim comes from an exceptional performance by Esteban Ocon and the entire Alpine team at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Throughout the weekend, Esteban Ocon demonstrated incredible talent and accuracy, executing a perfect lap that gave him the fourth-fastest time, following only two-tenths of a second behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Meanwhile, Alpine followed their approach admirably, functioning smoothly and maintaining their track positions. While they benefited from Charles Leclerc‘s penalty, their entire effort demonstrated they deserved a podium result. Mercedes, on the other hand, was frequently placed third or fourth on the speed charts.
Buoyed by their success, Alpine arrives with renewed confidence, believing that their recent triumph is not an isolated incident. “I expect that we’ll do it again in the next race, be ahead of Mercedes, and be able to keep up with Ferrari,” said the Alpine Sporting Director, Alan Parmane.
Parmane’s ambitious claims come even after their driver Esteban Ocon has requested their team to be modest. Following his podium, Ocon said, “We need to keep our feet to the ground and see where we are next week. It’s going to be a good test.” He acknowledged that Monaco is not an ideal track to test a car’s actual performance as it is more driver-centric. The Frenchman urged the team to remain grounded and wait to see how their performances fare out next weekend at the Spanish GP.
Currently positioned as the fifth-fastest team in 2023, Alpine recognizes the challenges that lie ahead. Mercedes, occupying the third or fourth spot on the speed charts, poses a formidable obstacle. On the other hand, Ferrari has a car with a strong qualifying pace that is undermined by their struggles with car flexibility and tire wear, offering an opportunity for Alpine to challenge them as well.
Alpine understands that Red Bull is out of reach and their performance is not Monaco-exclusive
While Permane concedes that Red Bull, led by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, may be out of reach, he remains undeterred that they might have a chance on their bad days. He affirms, “It will be difficult with Fernando [Alonso], but I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t take on Mercedes and Ferrari. We did that here and in Miami. In Miami, they were even faster than us, but we kept up.”
While it may be perceived as their performance might be Monaco-specific, Permane asserts that Alpine’s competitiveness extends beyond Monaco, affirming, “It’s not a car that’s only good in Monaco. We’ve only installed the upgrades that were planned for Imola and a few additional innovations. The car is just going well.”
As Alpine prepares for the upcoming race in Spain, they are armed with newfound confidence and improved performance. The team firmly believes that their success at Monaco was not a mere anomaly but rather a testament to their overall capabilities. Despite the challenges posed by Red Bull and Fernando Alonso, Alpine is determined to push its limits and strive for even greater achievements.
In case you missed it:
- Fernando Alonso sends clear message to Max Verstappen with a cheeky on-stage stunt at Monaco GP
- “F**k you,” Neymar Jr. responds to Lewis Hamilton after the Mercedes driver ignored him on live TV at Monaco GP
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Rohit Bhaskar
(727 Articles Published)