Alpine 2021 Review: Alonso excels while Ocon secures win

The 2021 Formula One season had some big surprises with teams getting things right. For example, Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso left an excellent impression with Alpine. In this article, GPblog looks at the year of the French racing team.

Alpine: 7.0

The Alpine team said goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo at the end of 2020 and opted for a reliable name in Formula 1 with Alonso. The Spaniard had been out of Formula 1 for a while, but he showed that talent doesn't disappear. While he struggled during the qualifying sessions at the start of the season, he showed during the races on Sunday why he's a two-time world champion.

The Hungarian Grand Prix was the highlight of the year for Alpine. A fierce start suddenly gave Ocon the chance to lead. Not only the Frenchman was important in the race, also Alonso had a clear role. The Spanish driver kept his former teammate Lewis Hamilton behind him for a long time, allowing Ocon to stand on the top step of the podium for the first time in his F1 career.

Because of the strong team performance, Alpine managed to finish the season with more points than rivals AlphaTauri in the Constructors' Championship. It meant  that not only did Alpine give themselves a financial boost, but also provided confidence towards the new racing season.

Internal duel

Although Ocon fared slightly better than his teammate in qualifying, there was little sign of that in the races. Alonso scored eight points more than Ocon and was still sharp enough to serve Alpine, both as an individual and as a teammate. Next season Ocon will want to do everything to beat Alonso in the world championship.

Alonso: 7.5

Alonso did not make it easy for himself to return to Formula 1 in 2021. Expectations were high and given his age, it was certainly not easy to perform at the same level. After three races, however, the criticisms had already been dispelled, as Alonso proved capable of taking Alpine to the next level like no other.

He continued that form for the rest of the season, culminating in his race in Hungary. There are few drivers in the history of Formula 1 who would've been able to replicate the fight with Hamilton. Thanks to his perseverance and driving skills, he managed to hold off the Brit and help his teammate to victory.

Ocon: 6.9

It was undoubtedly an honour for Ocon when he heard that he would be driving alongside Alonso on the track in 2021. The driver will have learned a lot from the Spaniard this year, who with all his experience knows what it takes to get the most out of a Formula One team. Compared to 2020, Ocon gained 12 more points for his team as a result.

Only in 2017 did the French driver do better than this season, proving that the partnership with Alonso is excellent. Ocon will consider his victory in Hungary as the highlight of the season. It will give him a lot of confidence towards next year, when changes to the regulations take place. Then it's up to Ocon to do even better.