Fernando Alonso finished the 2022 French Grand Prix a strong sixth for Alpine, after what he dubbed a chess game he was playing with McLaren.
McLaren brought a big upgrade to both their cars, but Alpine retained its edge, as Lando Norris could not overtake Alonso, finishing seventh, as Esteban Ocon overhauled Daniel Ricciardo to finish eighth, the Australian settling for ninth.
As a result, Alpine moved ahead of McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship to fourth, albeit by four points only.
“I’m very happy!” Alonso was quoted saying by Formula 1’s Official website. “I think the start was mega, from seventh to fifth – some risky moves there, then good tyre management.
“I think P6 was the maximum today,” he admitted. “The tyres were acting better than we expected, so we did have to manage but not as much as we thought. I am pleased with our race today. It was well-executed from our side, and we managed the pace and tyres well.
“We had to work through a lot of things in terms of the car balance this weekend, but we ended up finishing just behind the top-five positions, so a very solid race in the end and more points on the board for us,” the Spaniard revealed.
“It shows that when we have a clean weekend like this one, then we can finish in the top-six positions,” he pointed out. “Hopefully we can keep up this level of consistency throughout the second half of the season and continue our momentum.”
Alonso showcasing all the experience of his 40 years
One of the race highlights was a radio exchange between Alonso and his team, where he was being warned of Norris closing up on him into DRS range, only for double Champion to respond he was allowing that with the aim of ruining the Briton’s tyres.
“I did 350 races, so I know what I’m doing!” Alonso quipped when asked about the incident. “It was fun. The start was crucial, probably, to get ahead of Lando. I think [McLaren] have very similar pace, but to be in front of them in the first couple of laps was enough to control the race and to control the pace.
“I think we played the race like a chess game,” he reflected. “We tried to position the McLaren’s close to us and try to have some clear air in front, so all in all… it was a good Sunday.
“I wish I could challenge the Mercedes in front us or Checo [Sergio Perez] but that was not our league, so from there it was just to control [the McLarens] and if they get closer to us, they will damage the tyres, so it was not a concern at that moment.
“So, happy for that. Let’s go in Budapest, another go,” the 2005 and 2006 Champion concluded.
Alonso’s race received the accolades of another World Champion, Jacque Villeneuve who won his Title with Williams in 1997, and was full of praise for the Alpine driver in his formul1.nl column.
“I would like to mention Fernando Alonso,” he wrote. “The way he held up the McLarens and made them burn up their tyres, after which Ocon was able to catch Ricciardo.
“That is pure experience and is exactly why Alonso still has a place in Formula 1,” the Canadian insisted.