One day after its introduction, the Alpine A521 Shot Silverstone. The one who has had the privilege of testing the new car is Esteban Ocon, and that is Fernando Alonso He was unable to travel to England due to restrictions in place between Switzerland, where he resides, and the United Kingdom.
However, the French knight was only able to ride 16 rolls, That by saying, 100 kilometers, Which is specified by the regulation for this type of launch. “There was a lot of fun today. In the first place, It was good to get back in the car On a track like Silverstone, it is always something special. The car felt fine when I drove it for the first time “We were able to complete our program as planned,” Esteban Ocon said after this filming day organized by Alpine in Silverstone.
“This morning there was a slight delay due to the fog, but once it was cleared the track was dry which made the race very enjoyable. I wish I could drive more than 100 km, but this is the limit, and I will leave here with a smile on my face. We want to bring that to Beréin next week, when conditions are a little more representative with racing tires and some heat. I must say that I love new colors. It is the most attractive car on the net! The French added enthusiastically.
It is more beautiful in real life.
And this sound…! 🤩# A521 startup pic.twitter.com/tPEMln47Ti– Alpine F1 Team (@ AlpineF1Team) March 3, 2021
Despite the good feelings Esteban OconIt should be noted that he has run on special tires because he will not be able to do so with competing tires even before the season arrives, which will happen. Between the 12th and 14th of March. It is then that Ocon and Fernando Alonso discover the true potential of Alpine A521 and can see where they compare to their competitors.
Esteban Ocon, with an advantage over Fernando Alonso in the Alps
However, being able to participate on this filming day gives a certain advantage to Esteban Ocon Around Fernando Alonso Since it was able to pass its first impressions on to its engineers. For example, if a Frenchman thinks he should adjust something in his seat to be more comfortable, Alps You can adjust it from here to the beginning of the season. In contrast, the French team will only be able to adjust what Fernando Alonso deems appropriate between the preparatory race and the first World Cup race, which will take place on March 28.
Before participating in this photo day, Sergei Sirotkin, who was Renault’s reserve driver in 2020, spoke about the initial advantage Esteban Ocon will have over Fernando Alonso: “I think that, at least in the initial phase, The fight between Alonso and Akon will be very close. It seems to me that it would be very difficult for Fernando to immediately be at the level at which Daniel Ricciardo left his “car.”
Likewise with the Russian, Fernando Alonso noted in an interview with Alpine: “Usually I think that Every driver needs three or four races to improve everything in a new car, maybe a little more if you change teams or if you’re new to Formula 1.. To be 100% it might be necessary for at least the first two races, but it’s the same for everyone. I also had a small setback due to a bike accident but fortunately my preparation and physical condition will not be affected and I am ready to go.
Esteban Okon thinks Fernando Alonso is ready
In response to a question with the words of Sergey Sirotkin, Esteban Okun commented: “We’ll see, we’ll see. Fernando is going to be a great competitor and I’m going to give my bestBut in the end, we work together so that the team gets the most points possible. “
“Fernando is fully capable of getting started on ready. He added that he had taken many tests that would help him be more prepared, but he also had a lot of experience, despite the fact that he moved away from the classification for two years.
Grateful for his words, when Okon asked Fernando Alonso in his Alpine interview, he said, “I’ve known Esteban for quite some time and now we have a chance to race together, which is cool. It was a strong season last year, especially during the second half of the year, so There is great possibility to learn things from it And help the team in 2022. “
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