Alonso has confidence in Alpine: "Know it’s going to be a very competitive season"

Fernando Alonso will be a driver for the Enstone team for the third time in his career. The Renault name has been changed to Alpine and quite a few changes have been made since his last stint with the team.

Alonso himself was not present due to travel restrictions between Switzerland and England but still had a virtual contribution. The Spaniard suffered a setback at the end of his winter when he broke his jaw in a cycling accident. However, it looks as if Alonso has fully recovered from this and is ready to start the season.

“I’m very excited to be back in Formula 1 and to be part of Alpine F1 Team’s next chapter in the sport. I’ve been working hard to prepare myself for racing back in Formula 1 and the target is to attack from the beginning," Alonso said in Alpine's press release.

Alpine, known as Renault last year, suffered a slight dip in the Constructors Championship but did record a total of three podiums across the season. Daniel Ricciardo makes way for Alonso, who is keen to push on from those 2020 podium results.

"Driving the car for the first time is going to be a very exciting experience and I hope both factories can saviour the moment. We have a strong team and together with Esteban we must push on from last year and deliver results. We know it’s going to be a very competitive season, but we’re ready for the challenge. The car looks great and I have fond memories of racing with blue in Formula 1," he added.