Alonso returned to the Formula 1 podium after seven years.
Six months ago, the legendary Spanish racer Fernando Alonso returned to Formula 1. A few months later, Edoardo Bendinelli, coach of Alpine, announced that the 40-year-old was on the same form as he was in 2003 Then the Spaniard was in his prime and shone in Formula 1. Few believed these words, but the driver's results this season confirmed this.
“Lap time matters, not age. Now Fernando has more experience, he has become a more perfect Driver. Alonso was born to be on the podium. His desire to fight is incredible. As if for the first time,”
Bendinelli
At the Qatar Grand Prix, Alonso showed amazing performance and came to the finish line third. The podium was the 98th in Fernando's career and first since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix, when he finished second with Ferrari. 7 years, 3 months and 25 days have passed between these events. Only one driver - Alexander Wurz (seven years, nine months and 11 days) had a greater interval between the Formula 1 podiums.
“Seven years have passed, but we finally made it! We were close in a couple of races, but here today I thought I could lead the race. And I'm so happy for the team. We planned a strategy with one pit stop from the very beginning, but did not know how serious the tire wear would be. The race was well run by us, the pit stop itself was fantastic, the team worked great. I've been waiting for this for so long, so I'm happy,"
Alonso to the BBC
The Spanish driver's heyday came in the mid-2000s, when he became a two-time world champion with Renault. Fernando raced in the top division until 2018. Then he competed in endurance races: twice won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2020, Alonso competed in the Dakar rally marathon, after which he returned to Formula 1 in the summer of 2021. He stands for the team with which he achieved the best success - in 2021 Renault was renamed "to" Alpine.
Alonso confirms that even at 40 you can meet the high level of Formula 1. This season, he is the leader in the number of overtakes.
The driver describes his main mission after the comeback as follows: "Mercedes won the last seven titles. Our task, the goal of other teams is to improve their cars, motors, aerodynamics and so on. Now competing with Mercedes is like playing basketball with different baskets. They earn points by throwing in the big basket, you in the small one. You always fail. We are all dedicated to racing, we train a lot, we work on the simulator, we risk our lives. Nevertheless, every time we find ourselves in a circle behind. This is the only sport where something like this happens. They are trying to make Formula 1 fairer with the help of the 2022 regulations. I don’t know if it will work. ”
The Title Fight:
In terms of pure pace, Red Bull was inferior to Mercedes, and Verstappen deprived himself of the only chance to compete with Hamilton in qualifying.
Max Verstappen kept the pressure of Lewis Hamilton at the end of the US Grand Prix and began to break away in the championship. Two weeks ago - after the Grand Prix of Mexico City - the gap was already 19 points, and Helmut Marko figured out Max's advantage after the Brazilian race. But Red Bull lost, and now for the second race in a row - the situation in the championship turned upside down.
The Red Bull relaxed early
In Brazil, the Austrians could not oppose anything to "Mercedes", although Max Verstappen did everything in his power, and his defensive maneuvers were discussed for a whole week in the paddock. But the new Lewis engine will not last forever, it was assumed that he would no longer have such an advantage, but in Qatar Hamilton again confidently takes pole - moreover, with the old power plant!
Verstappen was desperately trying to recoup - and drove his last lap in qualifying in violation of the rules. Because of the broken "Alpha Tauri" of Pierre Gasly standing on the track, there were yellow flags on the track - at least they should have been, besides - double. It is still necessary to thoroughly figure out whether the engineer informed the racer about the incident on the track, but in the last turn Max saw Gasly's car himself - and still did not throw it off.
In such a situation, Verstappen was already in Mexico in 2019 - in that qualification he did not even need to improve, since at the time of the accident of Valtteri Bottas he was already on intermediate pole. At the press conference, the Dutchman even flaunted, they say, even if his circle is canceled, his second result is still better than the others. The result was not canceled - instead, a penalty was written in three positions, and the race was won by Lewis Hamilton.
Then Max was 22 years old - and even at that age with his experience, such behavior in Formula 1 is not forgiven. However, now at 24 and fighting for the championship, Verstappen is still impatient - so Hamilton will not be defeated.
Rosberg advised otherwise
Nico Rosberg has repeatedly said that the key to defeating Lewis is constant pressure. In a relaxed state, Hamilton does not make mistakes and drives perfectly, while with constant pressure, he can get out of balance and miss - and it is at this moment that there may be a chance to slip forward and somehow restrain the Briton.
In Qatar, Red Bull did not have the pace to fight on equal terms with Mercedes, but if it were not Pierre Gasly, but Verstappen, who had just taken the Briton with impunity in Interlagos, in the front row with Hamilton, the risk of error on the part of Lewis would increase significantly.
Even if Hamilton worked perfectly, the even side of the grid in Qatar is on the inner trajectory - if Verstappen had caught up with Lewis, he would have to decide in the last corner: go into a collision with Max or again yield to him. Any option plays into the hands of Verstappen and Red Bull.
In fact, Hamilton confidently blocked Gasley at the start and since then has not experienced the slightest pressure. Verstappen quickly broke into the second position, but Lewis was already far away, and the nine seconds of the gap created then allowed him to respond without the slightest risk to any tactical attacks from Red Bull.
Matchpoint in Jeddah
There are two races left until the end of the championship, and if Hamilton wins in Jeddah, and Verstappen finishes second, then before the final Grand Prix the two contenders for the championship will be separated by no more than two points. However, it is absolutely impossible to predict the balance of power on an unfamiliar street track, and therefore it is too early to consider Lewis a favourite.
In addition, the struggle continues in the Constructors' Cup - a puncture by Valtteri Bottas cost Mercedes a few points, and the gap was reduced to an insignificant five points.
For the Germans, we recall that at stake is a record eighth consecutive Constructors' Cup. It - in theory - "Mercedes" can provide itself already in Saudi Arabia.
However, in the same way as Verstappen can already become a champion in Jeddah - if he wins back 18 points at Hamilton at once. Against the background of the Briton's form in the last races, it is difficult to imagine such a thing, but in the 2021 season, anything has already happened.
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