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Column | Alpine F1 must maximise chances in 2021 to reap 2022 rewards with Alonso
2021 was supposed to be a massive year for Formula 1, perhaps the biggest in a generation. The rule and regulation book was set for a reprint as Liberty Media were due to harvest the first crop of fruits from their takeover deal. But those fruits will remain covered whilst the coronavirus pandemic grips the world.
Still, F1 in 2021 has plenty of narratives for fans to cling to. In this series on GPblog, we take a look at who has a massive 12 months ahead of them in Formula 1. Next up, Alpine F1. This series previously included Lando Norris (click here to read) and Valtteri Bottas (click here to read).
A big 2021
Renault, now known as Alpine F1 team, have a massive 12 months ahead of them. Alonso rejoins the team to form the same formidable line-up which won back-to-back world titles.
Of course, focusing on 2022 is also extremely important for Alpine. But the French team have a lot of unfinished business with their current car. And they have a lot to learn, particularly as they open a new chapter. Remember that five-year plan?
The five-year plan expired in December 2020. They had planned to be fighting for the World Championship when they only had a slim chance at becoming the best of the rest. To be fair to them, they were close coming 21 points short of McLaren in third-place.
During the year, Renault picked up three podiums. Two for Daniel Ricciardo and one for Esteban Ocon. But that didn’t prevent a sixth-place finish in the Championship. A firm step backwards considering they finished fourth in 2018. It’s also worth noting the sudden downfall experienced by Ferrari in 2020. This opened up an extra place at the top.
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Enough about the past, what about the future?
First of all, they’ve got to prove they’re still moving forwards. On circuits which have a high power demand, Renault produced some good results.
In Belgium, the team scored 23 points. In Sakhir, they scored 28 points. Other notables include Silverstone and Sochi. They struggled in Turkey, Abu Dhabi and the first race in Bahrain.
From looking at those results, it’s clear Renault need to improve their aerodynamic package without even diving into more complex statistics. And while the aerodynamics change massively just 12 months down the line, they must get a strong understanding of their package, performance in the wind tunnel and on the simulator.
Alpine have many ingredients which, when combined, give them a realistic chance of getting on top for 2022. With the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari on equal budgets due to the cost cap, they’ve got a great opportunity to make a huge step in 2022. The factory work on the 2022 car will have started way before this point, but this year is the time to fine-tune.
In fact, Fernando Alonso has already stated he wants to get the 2022 car in the wind tunnel as early as this month. The development and work on that car through 2021 is crucially important to the future of Alpine F1. Maybe, more than any other team, they need a car which can win races in 2022.
Fernando Alonso
Everyone knows Alonso’s driving skills. Even as a 39-year-old who has spent two years away from F1, the expectations surrounding the two-time F1 World Champion are strong.
Nobody will underestimate what he can bring on the track. But his off-track assets can’t be underestimated either. His communication with engineers will be vital. He’s a driver who will give constructive feedback. He’s a driver with a lot of knowledge. He’s a driver who is worth two-tenths on track, and more off-track.
Alonso might have close ties with Renault given what happened in the mid-2000s. But he won’t be around forever. He’s going to turn 40 in the summer. While Kimi Raikkonen proves you can continue driving in F1 at this age, it’s not going to be something which lasts forever.
We expect the Spaniard to be around in 2022, but we're uncertain beyond that. And that’s why Alpine need to use this year and get all the information possible from Alonso. They must maximise this golden chance in 2021, to reap the rewards in the future.
And it doesn’t stop with the car. For a few years now, Renault have been building a driver academy. When Alonso signed for Renault, there was a lot of noise about how he takes one of the youngsters' seats.
But the young drivers, and Alpine themselves, must look at this positively. The likes of Guanyu Zhou, Christian Lundgaard and Max Fewtrell have the opportunity to watch the ‘master at work’ in 2021. There is no better driver to learn from.
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GPblog’s prediction
To the eye, nothing will change drastically in 2021 for Alpine. Apart from the name change and personnel changes, the results will remain the same.
But if they utilise 2021 positively, get as much out of the year as possible in terms of their aero package development and feedback from Alonso then they have the makings of being strong in 2022.
Renault, with Alonso, ended Ferrari and Michael Schumacher’s run of World Championships. Maybe it will be the same combination who end Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton’s run of World Championships 17 years later.
