Formula 1 is arguably a game of cat and mouse. That being said, in recent years, it’s been pretty clear who’s the cat and who’s the mouse. There is an established order, so to speak. The front three, the midfield and then the back-markers. However, with the advent of Aston Martin making that big jump up from the clutches of the mid-pack, other teams, like Alpine have now set their sights on the big three.

Recently, a very bold claim about catching the Goliaths of this sport was made by the French team. At first glance, this would seem like a sensationally rubbish claim. Be that as it may, as it turns out, Alpine, after suffering a rough start to 2023, still have hard facts to back up their ambitions and goals.

Esteban Ocon vouches for Alpine supremacy

Alpine, formerly Renault, has been a strong midfield contender for almost six years now. They have show glimpses of pure pace, like back in 2020, however, they have never really threatened the upper echelons of the Formula 1 grid. But that is about to change.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, “Esteban Ocon, who is contesting his fourth season with Renault-Alpine, believes in his team. Regular trips to Enstone give him courage. According to its own statements, Ocon is at the Alpine factory at least once or twice a week.” 

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Emerging reports are one thing. However, what gives weight to Alpine tooting it’s own horn are the comments made directly by their driver, Esteban Ocon. And this comes after a 2-year podium draught for the French driver.

Alpine are on the right track

A lot of speculation can be made by the media. But the true test of a team’s fortunes always lies in the eyes and the words of their drivers. While a lot of teams and drivers try to be on the low, Ocon was very forthcoming with what he expects Alpine to achieve in the near future.

He was quoted by AMuS as saying, “We know where we need to improve. And last season we proved that we can make significant improvements to our car. I was in the design office and had the future concepts shown to me. I saw good ideas on how we can advance the car.”

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Can Alpine really back their claims up and fight amongst the very best of F1?