Alpine's leadership has given Fernando Alonso the green light for the Bahrain pre-season tests, confirming he has recovered from a jaw fracture sustained in an accident at his home in Switzerland last month.
Alpine team boss said Fernando Alonso is cleared and fit for Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain after undergoing jaw surgery recently. Fernando fractured his jaw last month due to an accident near his home in Switzerland.
Speaking at the virtual launch of the A521, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi shared that Alonso is doing great. The F1 calendar features a single pre-season testing event in Bahrain from March 12-14, leading up to the season start on March 28 at the same track.
Davide Brivio, who transitioned from MotoGP's Suzuki to become Alpine's sporting director, highlighted Alonso's incredible drive. Despite being 39 and away from the sport for two years, Brivio says Alonso is intensely motivated and focused on achieving top results, showing he is back for the right reasons.
Esteban Ocon told reporters that seeing Alonso in action in Abu Dhabi proved that age is just a number; the Spaniard neither looks nor drives like someone nearly 40. Ocon is certain Alonso will be operating at peak performance, though he added that he plans to give his teammate a run for his money on the track.
Alonso is returning to the organization where he secured his world championships in 2005 and 2006. Interestingly, many of the staff members he collaborated with during those title runs are still based at the Enstone factory. Before this homecoming, Alonso also spent time racing for McLaren and Ferrari.
Ocon, who is chasing his first ever Grand Prix win, mentioned that while the team will value Alonso's expertise, they won't show him any special favoritism. The Frenchman pointed out that since he spent the previous season in the car, he currently has a better understanding of its mechanics and can play a vital role in its evolution.
With most teams shuffling their driver lineups this year—except for Mercedes and Alfa Romeo—fans can anticipate a shake-up in the standings and the emergence of new rivalries. Beyond Alpine, last season's Racing Point also saw changes...