Alpine, McLaren & the fierce battle for the 4th place
Separated by 24 points, these two teams are having an exciting battle
This weekend Formula 1 is back in Monza, the same track where McLaren had a 1–2 finish with Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris last year. They were the protagonists in Ferrari’s territory but they would eventually finish behind them in the Constructors Championship after a fierce battle for third place. Now, one year later, their drop in performance is evident, they haven't been able to fight for podiums or victories like last year, and have struggled to even score points in some races.
Even worse, they are now fighting to earn the fourth place. The place that last year felt like a defeat. Their rivals are the French team, Alpine.
The pace of McLaren in 2022 have been surprisingly slow. After a good 2021, the expectations were high but they've failed to get involved in the fight at the front. Something that summarizes this drop in performance is what Lando Norris said about the only podium of the team this season in Imola: “It still blows my mind, considering how much quicker many of the other cars were. If we did a race of just pure pace, I’d probably be like 15th or something, but I finished on the podium.”
In-team Gap
The main difference between one team and the other has been the performances of their drivers. Lando Norris has accumulated 82 points. More points than Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon who have 66 and 59 points respectively. But, Daniel Ricciardo has failed to keep up with his teammate and currently has 19 points. The ‘Honey Badger’ has struggled a lot this year. And that probably misplaced him from the team for next season, with his compatriot Oscar Piastri already confirmed for 2023.
The previous winner in Monza hasn’t finished higher than P15 for the past three Grands Prix. Bad luck, not feeling comfortable with the car, and losing his seat for next year have caused him to probably lose confidence which might be the reasons behind his bad results. Let's see if he can get some magic from Monza, as he said after the Dutch GP.
The Lousy Neighbors
Their rivals, Alpine, are in a similar scenario. With Fernando Alonso confirmed as the replacement for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin after some misunderstandings with the French outfit. And all the drama that involved Oscar Piastri's reported contract with the team. The team looked to be in an uncomfortable situation from the outside, but this hasn't stopped them from being productive on track.
In contrast with Danny Ric, Fernando Alonso made it ten consecutive top 10 finishes at Zandvoort. And together with his teammate, Esteban Ocon, they have a streak of five consecutive double-points finish. Even in what could've been a bad weekend after the qualifying in the Dutch GP, they bounced back on Sunday with a great strategy that brought both drivers from 12th and 13th to the points.
With their consistency, their upgrades, and both drivers understanding the car in an ideal way, Alpine look hard to beat. But, it will be a fierce battle until the end. This is a fight where McLaren have more to lose and Alpine more to win. The 4th place for the British team will be like a ‘better than nothing’ and for Alpine will be a success and a demonstration that they are moving in a good direction.
Who do you think will finish in 4th place? Maybe Danny Ric will lift his level and help Lando and the team beat Alpine? And, do you think Alpine will be able to get a podium this season?
What do you think? Let me know!
Thank you for reading! I will leave other stories below in case you may be interested, feel free to check them out:
