Why Alpine and Fernando Alonso deserved a much better start to the season?

Why Alpine and Fernando Alonso deserved a much better start to the season?

Alpine's testing in Bahrain

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed his second victory of the season within the first two races of the 2022 Formula One Career. The Monagesque started the race in Pole Position ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes rookie George Russell. But had his fortunes favoured him, Fernando Alonso would have tasted champagne in the 2022 Australian GP.

Fernando Alonso was blazing past the midfield during the Qualifying sessions. He made it to Q3 and briefly set the second-fastest lap time of the session in Q2. Alonso was seemingly stuck in fourth gear as he approached Turn 11 in Q3 and crashed while attempting the corner. Following the incident in Q3, the team investigated the issue this morning. Small damage to an oil ring was found, which led to the car cutting out mid-corner during Fernando’s Qualifying lap.

Alonso suffered his second consecutive DNF. He has till now just contributed just 2 of Alpine’s 22 points in the first 3 races of the season. Esteban Ocon who finished P7, P6, and P7 in Bahrain, Jeddah and Melbournes has contributed the 22 points. The French racing outfit is currently 5th in the constructor’s championship after the Australian GP.

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Fernando who was showing great pace until that time said the team lost a “lost an opportunity” to claim their first podium of the season. And all because of a faulty ‘O-Ring’ on an oil seal which cost less than £1. This begs to ask, have Alpine bottled their opportunities so far?

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Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s rocky start to the 2022 F1 season

Alpine's Fernando Alonso's car letting out thick smoke today
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso’s car letting out thick smoke today

Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon have adjusted very well to the 2022 machinery. The duo have pushed their A522 into Q3 on all races barring Bahrain GP where Alonso managed to pull themselves to the top. But that is as far as how it goes for the French team who have not managed to balance their pace with consistent form and results.

Fernando Alonso managed to only finish one race so far. And both retirements were due to small yet faulty components in the Renault power unit. Alonso’s retirement in Jeddah and Australia was due to a faulty water pump and ‘O-ring’ which have resulted in the team missing out on crucial points and a potential podium. The former World Champion was “speechless” that he couldn’t challenge the Mercedes in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, given he believed Alpine’s pace to be superior to the Silver Arrows’.

Barring the team’s negligence, they have to fix the reliability of their power units. Esteban Ocon’s intelligence on track has managed to keep the team afloat with consistent points finished in all 3 races. Another thing that Alpine need to rectify is its strategy calls. The team made a serious error in Fernando’s tyre selection in the Australian GP which resulted in the Spaniard falling from P11 to dead last at P17 within a matter of 7 laps.

Fans who witnessed Fernando Alonso battle Esteban Ocon rejoiced in the duel in the early laps of the Saudi Arabian GP. Alpine has a fantastic car which could prove to be the best car in the midfield. But with strategy errors, poor engine and inconsistent results, the French team find themselves to be the biggest underperformers in the grid so far.

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