Alpine Shrug Off Barcelona Testing Blues as Fernando Alonso & Co Target Q3 Entry at Bahrain GP

Formula One is all set to begin this week in Bahrain. As the testing in Bahrain comes to an end, the teams will hope they have gathered all the required data. Alpine F1 team endured a poor start at Barcelona with reliability issues but had a promising testing session in Bahrain.

Alpine’s sporting director Alan Permane believes the team is in a much better position going into the first race of the season. It showed in the results, as Fernando Alonso finished 3rd on the timesheet on the last day of testing. Permane also gave his thoughts after a very positive 3-day testing period in Bahrain.

Fernando Alonso is content with the car, according to Permane

Alpine’s display in the testing was not eye-catching, but they would have been happy with the results in Bahrain. Fernando Alonso had solid testing on the final day by finishing third on the timesheet. The reliability issues they had in Barcelona did not repeat this time, much to the satisfaction of the team.

Alan Permane says Alonso feels content with the performance but still believes there is room for improvement. He stated, “Fernando is still not wondrously happy, still wants to go faster, still finding problems with the car, but he is much happier, of course.”

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“He was really happy, and could really feel the performance. He wasn’t on qualifying fuel, it was on lower fuel, but we were on full fuel before that. So he’s definitely more appreciative.”

Alpine concentrated on high fuel runs in Barcelona, and as a result, they struggled. However, they ran on a lower fuel this time around and focused on getting the best out of the car. And the car did not disappoint them, as it showed good potential.

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Permane claimed Alonso is more appreciative of the car even though he was not on qualifying fuel. He also admitted that the drivers still have some issues with the car.

The Englishman added, “But once you start getting used to that level of grip and speed, you then start finding little small problems there.”

He also revealed that the drivers acknowledge the potential of the car, but they have reservations about the expectations this season. However, he expects the car to compete in Q3 in the qualifying session.

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Permane added that there was no cause of panic in the team, and there were no substantial changes to the car from Barcelona testing. He conveyed, “We’re not miles off the back like we looked like we were in Barcelona. We’re there or thereabouts, so it’s just about getting things together.”

Alpine had a powerful end to the 3-day testing session in Bahrain and will look to carry their momentum into the race. However, there are still issues with the car and the drivers feel the need for improvement. Will Alpine achieve their lofty ambitions, or will they struggle with persistent issues? Leave your thoughts in the comments.