Alpine: Alonso and Ocon can race each other if they don’t lose time

The pair traded places several times during a fraught battle in the early stages of the Saudi Arabian GP.

Szafnauer, who at one point was pictured on the pit wall with his head in his hands, admits that his main concern was that the pink cars were losing ground to those behind.

Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen were both able to join the battle, and as the former got closer Ocon was told to “hold station” in an effort to allow both Alpines to stay clear of the Alfa. The Frenchman was also asked to lift and coast to bring temperatures down.

However, shortly after the hold station order was delivered Bottas got ahead of Ocon to split the Alpines.

Ocon eventually got back ahead of the Alfa, when Bottas had to pit with a temperature issue. He finished in sixth place, having fended off Lando Norris on the last lap, while Alonso retired with a loss of drive.

“It's a high-speed track here, the walls are close,” said Szafnauer of the internal battle. “But look, they did exactly what we talked about before the race. And it was good for everybody. As it turned out had Fernando not stopped on track, we would have been sixth and seventh.

“And we would have given the fans, and we did give the fans, a bit of a show. And I think that's what it's about. You've got to let them race.

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A522, battles with Esteban Ocon, Alpine A522

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

"It was clean, it's what the fans want to see. And we told them at the beginning we'll allow them to race. I mean, the only reason I did this [head in hands] was we were losing a little bit more time than I anticipated.

“And that's I think a little bit because the track specific stuff here, and a little bit because the cars can follow each other easier now, which was the aim of the new regulations.

“If you can follow easier, you can start overtaking each other, one lap after the next. So we've got to see how Melbourne goes, and then adjust."

Szafnauer confirmed that the team will now have to factor in any potential time loss to those behind when allowing its drivers to battle.

"The only thing we've got to do is now assess what DRS does with these cars, because you can follow a lot closer,” he said.

“Before it was really easy to break the DRS train, and then off you went. So we just have to assess that.”

Regarding the way Bottas joined the fight, he added: "That's exactly what we've got to look at, losing time only because it was so easy to continue to overtake here. And I think that's something new.

“When do we tell them to not start overtaking each other? Because it does cost you time. So that is exactly the trade-off.”