After the BWT Alpine F1 Team were able to secure fourth-place in the Constructors’ Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand PrixTeamPrincipal Otmar Szafnauer has praised the team’s “strong level of competitiveness” displayed throughout the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Alpine’s fourth-place finish in the Constructors’ marks the first time that the French team has managed to finish inside the top four since the 2018 season, when the then-named Renault team were able to beat the Hass F1 Team to secure fourth place.
this year, Esteban Ocon’s seventh-place finish combined with the McLaren F1 Team’s failure to capture a substantial points haul at the Yas Marina Circuitwould see the Enstone-based team prevail in what had been one of the more tightly contested battles of the 2022 season and capture fourth-place in the championship.
Speaking on the team’s success in the Constructors’ Championship this season, Szafnauer was full of praise for the team’s collective effort shown throughout the campaign.
“Firstly, congratulations to all at BWT Alpine F1 Team on this fantastic achievement of securing fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. This was our target at the start of the year and we certainly deserve it after showing a strong level of competitiveness on a regular basis to pick up good points at most races.
“This is credit to the entire team across Viry and Enstone who have done a marvelous job to deliver a fast race car. Of course, we’ve had some high moments and some low ones, but these experiences are all part of our journey and we will continue to learn, develop and grow as a team.”
While Ocon was able to enjoy a strong drive to bring home a seventh-placed finish, fortune proved to not be as favorable for Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard’s tenure with Alpine came to an unfortunate end, as he was forced to retire from the race due to a suspected water leak on his A522. Despite the unceremonious finish to his time with Alpine, Szafnauer thanked the two-time world champion for his effort and dedication throughout the last two seasons.
“I’d like to extend a message of thanks to Fernando for his efforts throughout the campaign and for delivering some performances that we’ll all remember forever. We wish Fernando the best for his future.”
Szafnauer also complimented the efforts of Ocon, as the Frenchman enjoyed his most successful points scoring tally across a Formula 1 season in 2022.
“Well done to Esteban on achieving his joint best finish of his career in the Drivers’ Championship and we look forward to seeing what he can do next year. Right now, the entire team deserves some time off after a long season and I’m sure we’ll return in 2023 feeling fresh and determined to go again and continue meeting our objectives.”
Laurent Rossi: “Extremely satisfying” to Claim Fourth in Constructors’ Championship
Just as Szafnauer did, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi spoke on his delight at securing fourth-place in the constructors’, in particular praising the team’s effort to respond so positively to the significant rule changes that all the teams had to tackle this season.
“Congratulations to the entire team on achieving fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship after a very hard-fought season. We knew the campaign would be challenging across many aspects, not least with such significant rule changes and a completely new sheet of paper in terms of car design. Thanks to everyone at Enstone and Viry for bringing a high rate of development to the package to ensure we could make strong progress throughout the year.”
The Alpine CEO also spoke on his satisfaction to beat out McLaren in the battle for fourth and achieve their main goal, which they set out to achieve at the beginning of the season.
“Achieving fourth place was our objective for this year so it’s extremely satisfying to tick that box and meet this milestone. Everyone at Alpine remains hungry and determined to take this achievement as a stepping stone for next season where we want to maintain our trajectory towards the front of the grid. For now, we’ll enjoy some time off over the off-season and return next year with our eyes firmly looking forward.”
Rossi finished off his final remarks on the 2022 season by giving thanks to Fernando Alonso, as the Spanish driver completed his final race with the Alpine team and now prepares to undertake his new venture with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team.
“Finally, a special thanks to Fernando for his outstanding achievements at the team over the years and we wish him well on the next chapter of his career.”
Credit: BWT Alpine F1 Team
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