Fernando Alonso: "Alpine has the potential to be champion" | Formula 1

The Asturian driver has returned to Formula 1 after two years of absence. Fernando Alonso has not returned to the expected level and is aware that he needs a period of adaptation. Alpine, for its part, has not been at the expected level either. The car’s performance is well below McLaren and Ferrari and has been surprised by rivals like AlphaTauri. Despite this, the team transmits unbeatable feelings to Fernando Alonso, who does not doubt his potential to be champion. “I think the team is renewed, motivated and has the potential to be a champion team in the future. I’m sure of that. I don’t know if it will take two, five or seven years, but we are in a good project and I am enjoying it ”, said the Spaniard on Channel 4. Fernando Alonso also referred to the words of Luca de Meo, president of the Renault Group, who recently commented on him: “Renault is Fernando’s home, but I want to use his experience to help us all grow. He has a different role than he did 15 years ago. He is the godfather of all. The only thing I ask of him is to help us become a leading team because it is about attitude and mentality and he has them. ”“ I think he meant that of everyone on the team, one of the most expert is the pilot, which is kind of weird. Normally you come to Formula 1 and we have many highly experienced members of the team who tell you about old races and the anecdotes and curiosities of Imola, the curiosities of other circuits and I am probably the guy who is telling all those things It is the rider who is telling these things now and that is a bit strange at the moment ”, Fernando Alonso pointed out in this regard.In readiness to win races in 2022 It was Luca de Meo who spoke of Alpine’s objectives like this before the presentation of the A521: “What we expect in 2021 is a year of transition, focused mainly on brand recognition. A team that will appear regularly in the newspapers and on television. ”Both the team and Fernando Alonso are optimistic for next season, when the change in regulation that is called to end the dominance of Mercedes will come into force. Still, Luca de Meo declared: “Later in 2022 we hope to be on the podium regularly, with the potential to win a race.” The best car in history for Alonso However, for that year, Alpine has promised that Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon will have the best car in history. “What we want to do is continue to build what we have. The Enstone team has changed a lot in recent years, working on a car that has reached its limits. It is a good car, it is not the best as we can see, but it is a good car. This does not mean that we want to extract the maximum in each race and also adjust the operation of the organization while we make sure to build the best car in history for the next regulatory era “, Laurent Rossi, CEO of the team, recently assured. team there are tons of people who are very good, but there is a little change: Marcin Budkowski came in, started putting his touch on the team, we hired a couple of high profile engineers and I’m sure this new mayonnaise will taste good on next year. We are French, so we know a thing or two about mayonnaise, ”he added optimistically. On the importance of having a good car for 2022, Fernando Alonso stated:“The car that is born well, leads the decade of that regulation. We saw it with Red Bull and with Mercedes. If you’re in those cars, you win four or five titles. In the past you won one and the next was a coin toss. ”It remains to be seen if Alpine is capable of creating this car and if the Asturian has a chance of being Formula 1 champion again. Damon Hill was optimistic about it, who said: “I love the idea that, finally, maybe Fernando Alonso has chosen to go to a team at the right time.” Alain Prost, for his part, who is an advisor to the French team, said: “I don’t see anyone beating Mercedes in 2021; in 2022, maybe Alpine and Alonso ”. However, the four-time champion has urged the team to evolve its current car: “Everyone talks about 2022, because everything is directed towards then, but to do the best possible in 2022 you have to have done the best possible in 2021.” For now, Alpine has already announced that it will bring improvements to the next races.