Alpine currently investigating lack of F1 race pace
Alpine has admitted it is still chasing answers as to why its current Formula 1 car is quite strong in qualifying but lacking in race pace.
The Enstone-based team is locked in an incredibly tight midfield battle, but it has not managed to convert its strong Saturday performances into a solid points haul.
It is currently lying in seventh place in the constructors’ standings on 25 points, but has to address its performance to avoid losing more ground to Aston Martin and AlphaTauri ahead of it.
Both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon have endured frustrations in recent races, as the team's race pace has not yielded stronger finishes.
Executive director Marcin Budkowski said the outfit was working hard on trying to work out the weaknesses of the A521 and, specifically, how it can address its Sunday struggles.
“We have work to do to understand our race pace deficit and it’s something we’re actively investigating,” he said ahead of the French Grand Prix.
“It’s clear the car is capable of good performances in qualifying, but on some circuits, we can’t seem to replicate that good pace in race conditions, and that’s something we need to get on top of to score bigger points in the championship.
“We hope that our findings so far will help us achieving a good result in France, on a full-time circuit more typical of what we normally see in Formula 1.”
Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Budkowski said that despite Alonso having scored an encouraging sixth place in Baku, it should not ignore the fact that that result owed much to the Spaniard’s charge up the order at the restart.
Reflecting on its most recent outing, Budkowski said: “Overall, it was an encouraging weekend up until Sunday. Our pace was relatively competitive on Friday up until Saturday and we reached Q3 with one car after a tricky session with many yellow and red flags.
“It was disappointing for Esteban to retire early on with a reliability issue, and unfortunately our race pace wasn’t strong enough to allow Fernando to fight for good positions in the race. It took a fantastic effort from him to secure sixth position in the last two laps."
Alpine is to bring a few minor modifications to the car for Paul Ricard, and has also revised its rear wing because of new tougher pull back tests.
And with the team eager to lift its form, plus facing added pressure because of the race in France, Ocon is under no doubts how much the outfit is chasing a good weekend.
“I think everyone in the team is desperate for a good race on home soil, and we’ll be working hard to do just that,” said the Frenchman.
Related video
Previous article
Robson: Russell would be "massive loss" for Williams if he left in 2022
Next article
Why Red Bull reject Kvyat believes he deserves another F1 chance
The floundering fortunes of F1’s many Lotus reboots
Team Lotus ceased to exist in 1994 - and yet various parties have been trying to resurrect the hallowed name, in increasingly unrecognisable forms, ever since. DAMIEN SMITH brings GP Racing’s history of the legendary team to an end with a look at those who sought to keep the flame alive in Formula 1
Why the 2021 title fight is far from F1's worst, despite its toxic background
OPINION: Formula 1 reconvenes for the Russian Grand Prix two weeks after the latest blow in ‘Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton’. While the Silverstone and Monza incidents were controversial, they thankfully lacked one element that so far separates the 2021 title fight from the worst examples of ugly championship battles
How F1’s other champion to emerge from 1991 thrived at Lotus
Mika Hakkinen became Michael Schumacher’s biggest rival in Formula 1 in the late-90s and early 2000s, having also made his F1 debut in 1991. But as MARK GALLAGHER recalls, while Schumacher wowed the world with a car that was eminently capable, Hakkinen was fighting to make his mark with a famous team in terminal decline
The forgotten F1 comeback that began Jordan’s odyssey
Before Michael Schumacher – or anyone else – had driven the 191 (or 911 as it was initially called), Eddie Jordan turned to a fellow Irishman to test his new Formula 1 car. JOHN WATSON, a grand prix winner for Penske and McLaren, recalls his role in the birth of a legend…
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
