Almost for the first time so far this season Formula 1the goddess Luck allied herself with Fernando Alonso in the final bars of Brazilian Grand Prix… but not if before Alpine I would have made a new mistake with the two-time world champion.
After starting from seventeenth place on medium tires and behind his teammate, Esteban Oconthe Asturian’s idea was to draw up a three-stop strategy that started very soon.
On lap 15, Fernando entered the pits and completed a manual ‘undercut’ on the pilots of the middle zone. Already in turn 36, with a large part of the work done and having passed his most direct rivals, Alpine sprang into action.
Up to 10 seconds Alonso lost in a rude ‘pit-stop’ in which he even had to brake to give way to Alexander Albon.
The race started again, one more Sunday, very uphill, but the man from Oviedo did not give up, he activated the ‘killer mode’ and, thanks to a virtual safety car in the final section, he started with an advantage in the restart.
With 12 laps to go, the Spanish driver was on practically new soft tyres, which gave him an advantage over his rivals and he was able to overtake Sebastian Vettel, Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas and ‘Checo’ Pérezstaying just over a second from charles leclerc.
After the checkered flag and fifth place certified, far from reminding the team of the disastrous stop, he showed “proud” of the work of the Enstones. “Perfect execution on your part”replied his engineer, aware that they had not completed, once again, the best possible Sunday.