Fernando Alonso explains why there are no more excuses for Alpine in the 2022 season – He is sure that the team only lacks “a faster car “
The fact is, however, that Alpine will have to take a bigger step than other teams if they want to be at the top in 2022. They did finish the 2021 season in fifth place in the World Championship. But the French themselves have repeatedly stated that they did not necessarily have the fifth-fastest car.
One of the reasons why they finished ahead of AlphaTauri in the WRC was that they had worked better than the young bulls in many other aspects. “We are strong in many areas. We just need a competitive package,” explains Alonso, who believes Alpine is already in a very good position apart from pure performance.
No clarity until first test
But it is also clear that this will be of little help in the new season if the car is not fast enough. “We’ve been working on it for many months now and we have high hopes,” says Alonso, who explains, among other things, “We definitely need to close the gap on the engine.” But he also says there is a need to catch up on aerodynamics.
The difference: while the familiar hybrid engines will still be used in 2022, the cars are completely new. That’s why Alonso also explains that you don’t know exactly how much time you have to find. You can estimate something like that much better in a “normal season” when you know the other cars.
“But there is no data [in 2022] that we can feed the computer with. So at the moment it’s just hopes. But everyone has those hopes,” Alonso knows. Because the rules are completely new this year, the order could shift. But there can’t only be winners, some will also lose.
Alonso: Budget cap should help
2022 is “completely unknown territory” for everyone, says Alonso, who nevertheless stresses: “I am optimistic. We have the necessary resources. We have the commitment of Luca de Meo and Laurent Rossi. Our whole management has made a commitment to Formula One. The budget cap should help because the top teams don’t have an unlimited budget anymore. “
“Now everybody has more or less the same financial means. Now it’s up to us to build a good car,” says Alonso, who has no more excuses in view of the budget cap and the new regulations. By the way, he had not yet tested the new car before the end of the 2021 season.
While drivers from other teams had already tested the new cars, at least in the simulator, Alonso admits that he had “not contributed much” to the development. The new car was mainly developed by the designers and in simulations. “I feel like it’s a strange new project for everyone,” the Spaniard said.
Whether Alonso’s wish for a faster car will be fulfilled will first become clear at the first test in February.
