Will Alpine make a leap forward? 'We're all trying to do that'

While all eyes were on the top teams during the test days, plenty happened at the midfield teams as well. At Alpine for example, where they have made an unseen step forward compared to last year. Although they have yet to show the back of their hand, they seem to have found more performance.

"We learned a lot and did a lot of laps, so I'm pretty happy with that. But the learning process is not over," Fernando Alonso acknowledges to Speedweek. The Spaniard is preparing this year for his second year of F1 after his comeback. It's all new for him, too, although he already has a good idea where his team stands.

Can Alpine surprise in 2022?

"We all need more grip. We all try to understand the new cars, rules and parts. We tried different things and got some clear insights, and that's what you want to achieve when you test," explains the two-time world champion.

While he has a good impression of where his own team stands by now, that is not yet the case with Alpine's competitors. At AlphaTauri they also seem to have made a move and this season the teams in the rear have also found a lot of performance. In exactly one week they will know more, Alonso also sees. Then the first Grand Prix of the season is on the program, in Bahrain.