Alpine has taken action in the war’ between Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Finally, the team has said ‘enough’. At last, the team has scored a full-fledged ‘here I am’ on the French driver’s radio. It was in Brazil after an embarrassing sprint in which they both touched and that they are clear that cannot be repeated.
With Alonso on better tires than Ocon having taken advantage of the VSC to put on soft tyres, Esteban seemed to have no intention of letting his teammate pass despite more favorable conditions… and being right behind him.
The radio could not be more blunt: “Alonso has a tire advantage. We don’t want you to fight with him. Let him pass if he attacks you.”
But Ocon was not entirely clear and had another idea in mind: “Let me run… and then I will assess the situation.”
In Alpine they did not cut the slightest and tremendous hardness with the French was appreciated in the tone to make it clear that the message had been understood.
“You have not understood me? Don’t fight Alonso. And I want confirmation,” Alpin said.
He had no confirmation. Ocon, yes, he did his job. He overtook Vettel, his target, and as soon as he saw Alonso he let Fernando take the lead.
The result? A good bag of points for the team and zero trouble to end a weekend in which they have already had too much of that in Alpine.
