Alpine acknowledges problems with the wind tunnel affecting Fernando Alonso | Formula 1

It seems that this season Alpine will not be able to fight for third place in the Constructors’ World Cup, at least for now. While the French team was aware that Mercedes and Red Bull would remain unreachable in 2021, Ferrari and McLaren are one step ahead. However, this is something that has not caught Fernando Alonso’s team by surprise as he had problems with the wind tunnel during the winter. “We knew that we experienced some problems during the winter with the regulatory changes, but we also had some problems in the wind tunnel that slowed down development. We knew we had not had the best winter possible. And therefore we expected to be behind in rhythm “, has recognized Marcin Budkowski.” The tests confirmed it. We made progress during them with some things that we tested and that were an improvement, but we were behind, ”continued the CEO of Alpine. “Interestingly, we ended up more or less where we thought we would end. But we were wrong with some of the cars that were in front of us and some of those that finished behind, “he admitted.” But I don’t think we were the only ones, because speaking with some members of other teams, it seems that quite a few people predicted an order a little different from the one we saw in the races, “said Marcin Budkowski. Alpine prepares an improved car Despite this, and despite the importance that both Alpine and Fernando Alonso give to 2022, the French team does not give up this season:” We are working hard to try to improve our performance and that is clear from the number of improvements we have here, ”he continued.“We are further behind than we would like to be, so it is going to take a little more than a few improvements. It seems that the car is progressing this weekend, but we have more work to do in the next races “, has finished Marcin Budkowski. Alain Prost, Alpine advisor, recently encouraged the team to progress with the following argument:” Everyone talks of 2022, because it is all directed towards then, but to do your best in 2022 you have to have done your best in 2021, even if the cars are not comparable. Team, atmosphere, structure, motivations, synergies at the highest level since 2021 “. The true reality of Alpine After the Bahrain Grand Prix, Marcin Budkowski acknowledged that McLaren, Ferrari and AlphaTauri were the rivals who had surprised him:” They are very strong, a little stronger than we expected. Then there are us and Aston Martin. Those I think are the teams in the middle zone. ”“ Alfa Romeo is not far either, so everything is very, very tight. You can go from 5th to 16th from one circuit to another and depending on the different conditions, “added the Pole adding a new rival to the fight. Still Marcin Budkowski kept Alpine’s goal:” Our goal is, of course, be in the front of this group rather than behind. At the moment, I think we are in the middle. I would say that we are a few tenths short to be ahead. ”Alpine’s step forward at ImolaThanks to the improvements Alpine has presented for the Emilia-Brittany Grand Prix; Esteban Ocon, ninth, and Fernando Alonso, tenth, have added the first points for the French team. Still, McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, AlphaTauri and Aston Martin have added more points at Imola.“We are happy with the car, but all the teams test new parts. If we improve two tenths and the rest improve one and a half, we are only advancing half a tenth. But I am happy with the progress, now we are going for the next one ”, Fernando Alonso said about it after the race. For now, Alpine, who was sixth in the Constructors’ World Championship last season, is the seventh team in this classification. With 3 points on his locker, he is just 2 behind Aston Martin and 5 behind AlphaTauri. Further away are Ferrari and McLaren, at 31 and 38 points respectively.