BWT Alpine F1 Team have overtaken McLaren F1 Team in the Constructors’ Championship to provisionally take the ‘best of the rest’ spot, with a four-point gap separating the two teams. The French outfit were able to outscore their rivals at their home event, taking home sixth-place with Fernando Alonso and eighth-place with Esteban Ocon, while McLaren would finish seventh and ninth with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo respectively.
“The goal today was to score points with both cars, and we’ve done just that! I’m happy with my race today and it was brilliant to drive in front of the home fans who have been incredible all weekend, so thanks to them for all their support.
“It was a tough one out there in the heat, and I enjoyed the on-track racing with some tight battles. We’re now fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, so we leave here feeling very positive and motivated to keep that position. I do hope we race in France next year as there is nothing quite like a home Grand Prix.
“Merci to all the fans and allez Alpine!”
“I am pleased with our race today” – Fernando Alonso
Two-time world champion, Alonso, is happy with his result, after he jumped Norris at Turn One and was able to control the race to finish in sixth-place. The Spaniard is now tenth in the Drivers’ Championship after his year got off to a tricky start, though he has been putting in some brilliant performances recently.
“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,” Alonso explained.
“I had a good start climbing up to fifth, but then we dropped to sixth and perhaps resumed our normal position in the race. It shows that when we have a clean weekend like this one, then we can finish in the top six positions.
“Hopefully we can keep-up this level of consistency throughout the second half of the season and continue our momentum.”
The upgrade package that Alpine fitted for the British Grand Prix has helped the French outfit finish strongly in the last handful of races; and the momentum is certainly in their favour, as McLaren hope to fight back for fourth place.