Alpine believes it is still far from securing an advantage over Racing Bulls in the fight for fifth place in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship. Before the British GP, the team’s managing director, Steve Nielsen, stated that it would only take a chaotic race for the points gap to disappear.
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At the time, Alpine held a 13-point lead over the team controlled by Red Bull. For Nielsen, however, this scenario did not allow for any complacency, especially given the development battle between the two teams throughout the season.
“What? We haven’t even reached the halfway point of the championship, right? There are ten, eleven, twelve races left. There is no possibility of relaxing,” the director told the press before the British round. According to him, an unexpected result could quickly change the standings. “It only takes a somewhat chaotic race, and we’ve had a few like that, for Racing Bulls to finish ahead of us and score many points.”
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Nielsen also highlighted that the battle between the two teams goes far beyond the races. “The difference is about 13 points, so that can change in just one weekend. We are far from being able to relax and we continue in a development war with Racing Bulls,” he added.
The director’s warning gained strength after the British GP, reinforcing the assessment that the fight for fifth place remains completely open. For Alpine, maintaining the car’s development pace will be crucial to prevent Racing Bulls from overturning the gap in the upcoming stages of the season.
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