In 2021-22, the two-time champion made a return to the Enstone team, racing for Alpine for the third time in his career. However, Fernando Alonso has expressed his ‘surprise’ at the rapid decline of his former Formula 1 team, Alpine, after their promising performance in 2022.
During the inaugural year of the ground effects regulations, Alpine’s A522 car consistently secured points, with Alonso and Esteban Ocon clinching fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Despite this achievement, the team suffered from reliability issues, which prevented them from capitalizing on potential big points finishes.
At the end of the season, Alonso decided to part ways with Alpine, opting for a multi-year contract offered by Aston Martin.
This decision marked the end of his third stint with the Enstone team, having previously raced for them from 2003 to 2006, and then from 2008 to 2009. Notably, he secured both of his world titles during his first stint with the team when it was known as Renault.
While cautious in his remarks, Alonso did express surprise when questioned about Alpine’s current struggles. The A524 car has been criticized for its slow pace, excess weight, and significant performance gap, following a period of substantial staff turnover within the team.
Key positions such as CEO, Team Principal, Chief Technical Officer, Technical Director, Sporting Director, and Head of Aerodynamics have all seen changes in the past year, contributing to the team’s challenges on the track.
“Well it is difficult to comment from the outside, but it is a team I love and gave me a lot of great things in my career,” Alonso stated. So I hope that they can get better.
“Maybe when I was there, obviously the team was maybe different, it was a great atmosphere and we had good performance as well, especially in 2022.
“We were within the top five or six in every race, so it is a little bit surprising to see the current results, but hopefully they can fix things quickly.”
