Alpine F1 have been on an upward trajectory since introducing their upgrades in Spain. They have scored points in every race since then and have, on paper, been the fourth fastest team on the grid.

The French team has once again impressed everyone with their speed in the Friday Practice at the Canadian GP. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso finished in top-5 in both sessions. But fans have noticed some similarities between Alpine and Red Bull in the recent races.

According to AMUS, the underwing at the rear is very similar to that of the Austrian team. “We suit low/medium downforce tracks better than those on which we drive with maximum downforce,” said the team.

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Both Alonso and Ocon looked really competitive on the first day in Montreal. The Two-time world champion mentioned he was happy with the car and the speed on Friday.

Alpine driver Fernando Alonso reviews the Free Practice in Canada

The Spanish driver finished third in FP1 while managing a respectable fifth in the FP2. It is quite interesting to see his blistering pace on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as he appears to be the fastest midfield driver.

“I think it was another decent Friday for us today. The car seems to be performing quite well at this challenging track here in Montreal. We haven’t raced in Canada for a number of years and it does feel a bit different than in previous years. Things like riding the kerbs give a very different feeling with the ground effect cars.

Overall, it was a good experience today. It looks like it could be a mixed weather forecast tomorrow, so we tried to get as much data as we could in preparation for the race,” said the Alpine driver.

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With Leclerc taking a grid penalty for the race and Sainz struggling with his car, there is a chance for the Spanish driver to tiptoe his way onto the podium. With the eye-catching pace he showed on Friday, he is certainly on course to deliver a commendable qualifying outing on Saturday. Let’s see where both Alpines finish after a promising start to the weekend.