“I could be in sixth or seventh place” – Fernando Alonso saw his race end prematurely in Saudi Arabia due to Alpine failure, but is confident of the Renault engine delivering this season.
Renault last tasted season victory in 2013, the end of a four-year reign with Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel. Since then, they have seen themselves losing out to Mercedes, and most recently Honda.
But former champion Fernando Alonso is convinced Renault is back to its best, and can race competitively against the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes.
“I think [with the engine] we are now on the same level as the others. We have been able to fight on the straights, both here and in Bahrain.
“Unfortunately, we also have to continue to investigate what happened to the engine in Bahrain and what happened today, we have to make sure we have enough units for the whole year.”
Which team will finish P4 this season?
The midfield battle is bracing to be an intense one this season, with last season’s P4 McLaren facing tough competition from Alpine, Alfa Romeo, Haas, and AlphaTauri, and improvements expected out of Aston Martin and Williams.
Alonso acknowledges the competition but is confident of his team and himself being the best-of-the-rest this season.
“I’m happy with the performance. To be honest, I think I could be in sixth or seventh place in the Championship, but I’m not there.
“And it’s not because we don’t deserve it, it’s because we haven’t maximised the points. I think we’ve lost too many points.
“It could be, but the Alfa Romeo looks a bit faster in some places, the Haas was very fast in Bahrain. And [George] Russell [Mercedes] was doing well today, though not outstanding. So we’re there, and now it’s up to us to make some progress.”
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