Alpine’s life without Alonso… Eight retirements and 52 points less in twelve races!
Lpine is going through one of those spirals of negative results (the Netherlands, apart) from which it is very difficult to get out. From within the French team, they knew that Monza would be complicated… From the paddock, they point out that this was the clear sign that indicates its engine power deficit. After Gasly’s podium in Zandvoort, qualifying in Italy was a cold shower. Although Saturday already showed signs of success, total disappointment for the French came during the race. Esteban Ocon could not finish the race once again and there are five abandonments in just 12 Grand Prix. Gasly’s result did not help us forget this negative trend, either. He was 15th and Alpine travels to Hungary without having scored any points from the last European event.
The Alpine couple accumulates eight abandonments halfway through the championship, five for Ocon and three for Gasly . The Enstone team has the most accumulation of the ten teams in the championship, far from Williams, which has had to retire its car early on six occasions. They have gone from being the fourth car on the grid (125 points) to being 6th in the Constructors’ championship (73 points), with a similar distance from 5th and 7th place. A decline they did not expect.
The problem has been going on for a long time
Last season was the prelude to what was about to happen, although as the main victim on that occasion did not raise his voice too much, Enstone did not seem very concerned. “We are not well-prepared, we changed engines, and we did not finish the races,” Alonso warned last season. Time has run out to prove him right. At Alpine, they claimed to focus most of their efforts on achieving the maximum possible power for their engine and in the end, it has ended up being quite the opposite. With these eight abandonments, they have already exceeded last season’s number (7). Alonso could not finish five races due to reliability and Ocon went to two. With eight races still to be played, the numbers can be even more embarrassing.
We must not forget that we have not made an unreliable engine on purpose, but in case we have to make a mistake in one aspect, it is better there.” We must not forget that we have not made an unreliable engine on purpose, but in case we have to make a mistake in one aspect, it is better there,” said Otmar Szafnauer last season. The remedy has ended up being worse than the disease.