The Alpine drivers want to stand out in Qatar
After a double points finish in Brazil, the Alpine team arrives in Qatar with confidence and hopes to have prepared well for the Losail race.
After placing its two cars in the top 10 in Brazil (a first since Monza), the Alpine team is expecting a big challenge in Qatar, as Formula 1 has never raced at Losail.
« Like all the other drivers on the grid, we arrive in unknown territory,” recalls Esteban Ocon. « Of course, we have all already seen the MotoGP races on this circuit (the two-wheelers have been going to Qatar since 2004), so we have some information about the track. The characteristics will be quite similar to Bahrain, there may be a lot of wind, sand, and the race will be at night, which is always unique. It is always a challenge when we go to new circuits so I will prepare as much as possible in the simulator to find some tricks. »
Fernando Alonso, as an experienced veteran, prefers to approach this new Grand Prix with the knowledge of Davide Brivio rather than with the simulator. The latter knows the circuit by heart thanks to his experience as Team Manager in MotoGP, at Suzuki.
« I have always loved running in the Middle East,” declared the former double world champion. « Losail is a track that I don’t know very well, so I talked to Davide because, of all the team, he has the most experience on this track. The weather conditions promise to be good and I can’t wait to see how a Formula 1 car behaves compared to a Moto here.”
Alpine only has three more Grand Prix races to try to secure its fifth place in the World Constructors’ Championship. The French team is currently neck and neck with AlphaTauri (112 points each).
