Alpine F1 CEO Reveals His Frustrations After Fernando Alonso’s Turkish GP Result

Fernando Alonso endured a weekend of mixed feelings in the recently concluded Turkish Grand Prix. He produced a stunning lap on Saturday to qualify in sixth place, which became fifth due to Lewis Hamilton’s 10-place grid penalty.

However, disaster struck the Spaniard at the start of the race. Attempting to take the outside line at Turn 1, Alonso spun due to contact with Pierre Gasly, sending him to the back of the grid. While Gasly received a five-second time penalty, Alonso received one of his own after causing Mick Schumacher to spin.

Although Esteban Ocon brought a point home for the French team, CEO Marcin Budkowski expressed disappointment over Alonso’s outcome.

Marcin Budkowski speaks about poor result for Fernando Alonso

While Gasly and Alonso received identical time penalties, their races went differently in Istanbul. Alonso could only manage a P16 finish, while Gasly picked up eight valuable points with a sixth-place finish.

Budkowski spoke about what went wrong on Sunday, terming Alpine’s result a poor one. He said, “We had a poor result. Fernando was pushed by Gasly in Turn 1 and then had another incident with Mick Schumacher.

“He could not find the rhythm even after the tire graining phase and we had to check for any damage to his car from the previous two accidents. It’s a frustrating result for him after starting fifth, especially seeing where Gasly finished the race.” (Translated by Google Translate)

WATCH STORY: Verstappen the Big Winner as Hamilton Loses Out at Turkish F1 Grand Prix

Budkowski: The goal is to recover in Austin

This played a crucial role in the battle for fifth place in the constructors’ championship, as AlphaTauri closed the gap to 12 points. With the United States Grand Prix inching closer, the Pole admitted their aim is to recover lost points.

“We lost points in our fight for fifth place in the Championship. Now we are focused on the next race, in Austin, where our goal is to recover,” said Budkowski.

Six races remain this season, with Austin hosting Round 16 of an exciting F1 championship. Although this battle has been in the dark for a while, it could become exciting in the races that remain. Will Alpine keep fifth place after October 24? Or will Red Bull’s sister team produce a late run to leapfrog the French outfit?

READ MORE: Fernando Alonso’s Qualifying Controversy in Turkey Set to Trigger a New F1 System at Austin