Fernando Alonso: Worrying report emerges from Spain about Alpine car

A report in Spain is claiming that a source within the Alpine team has said that their car for the 2022 Formula 1 season needs improving, with Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon set to be behind the wheel once more this year.

The French/British team has high hopes for this year with them hoping that the 2022 regulation changes are going to help them build on a 5th place finish in the Constructors’ championship in 2021.

Certainly, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon will be eager to finish on their podium apiece finishes last year (with Ocon’s a win in Hungary) but a claim from Mundo Deportivo isn’t exactly going to fuel positivity.

The Spanish outlet claims a source within the Alpine team has had this to say:

“Fernando is very good. The car… not so much.”

The source was then asked to expand with them saying, “there are things missing… things are missing.”

Of course, who this source is and how trustworthy they can be is open to debate, particularly with this part of the season a prime time for teams to play down their chances.

However, the technical fault Alonso had at the end of testing last week that curtailed their session was hardly ideal, with them clocking the third-fewest miles over the three days in Barcelona.

Alonso himself has said he’s happy with the performance gains they’ve made with their power unit but that the new fuel they’re using is causing a little bit of an issue, and so we’re just going to have to see where Alpine are come the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20th.