Otmar Szafnauer defends Alpine driver lineup following their double DNF in the Hungarian GP
Otmar Szafnauer defends the 2024 Alpine driver lineup amidst recent drama at Hungary.
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Otmar Szafnauer (Via Twitter)
A few months ago, Alpine F1 team and Otmar Szafnauer were in the middle of a huge crisis. With the driver market going in a frenzy, the French team was the one that has gotten affected the most. Fernando Alonso had left the team to join Aston Martin from 2023 onwards. This led to the Enstone based squad to immediate announcement Oscar Piastri as their replacement for the Spaniard.
However, Oscar Piastri had other intentions which led to a court case resulting in the Aussie joining McLaren. With 12 races taking place this season, it is clear that Fernando Alonso has been performing at his best and impressing the whole paddock. On the other hand, Oscar’s rookie season with the team has starred to gain more traction following the team’s recent gains in pace.
In a way, it seemed clear that Alpine had lost out on two talented drivers. This led to Otmar Szafnauer signing Pierre Gasly which many think was ‘damage limitation’. The Alpine team principal commented on Alonso’s experience being missed by the squad. “Experience does count for a lot, but at a certain point, you’re at the point of diminishing returns. Both of our drivers are relatively young, they are fast, and they also have good experience,” he said on ‘Beyond the Grid’.
Otmar Szafnauer defends Alpine drivers while hoping to get the best out of them in 2023
“They haven’t won World Championships, and Fernando has, so you might say that he knows how to win titles. But our guys have won races. They’re fast and have good experience, and I’m happy with both of our guys,” he stated. “But for me, it’s not about what could have been. We just have to get the best out of the drivers we have right now,” he continued.
Alpine has been having a horrid season so far. It has become clear that their engine development is far behind other constructors and it keeps hurting them every race. The engine reliability is also a serious issue that the squad has to tackle. However, despite the problems, Otmar Szafnauer has put his hopes in Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon to perform and make do with what they can.
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Varad Joshi
(940 Articles Published)