Over the last couple of weekends, the Alpine F1 team has been putting in some impressive performances. They achieved their first podium of the season in Monaco and are looking strong for this weekend in Spain.
Alpine has been stating that they aim to fight with Mercedes in the WCC for a while now. However, they were caught lagging during the season opening. Esteban Ocon had a string of penalties during the Bahrain Grand Prix and could not put a good result. We saw both the Alpine drivers throw away a promising result during the Australian Grand Prix where they were in promising point-scoring positions.
What a moment for @OconEsteban 💪
He’s the first Frenchman on the Monaco podium since Olivier Panis won back in 1996 🥖🇫🇷#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/TchStxvrSx
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 28, 2023
During the Monaco Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon started and finished the race in 3rd place, holding back the Ferraris and the Mercedes. He only finished behind Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso. They seem to have carried that momentum to Spain as well. With the Friday practice sessions done, they are looking strong for the weekend with Mercedes finding it a challenge to stay in that top 10.
Can Alpine fight with Mercedes in the WCC?
Ever since Lewis Hamilton lost the 2021 WDC, he has been itching to drive in a car capable of winning the Championship. However, Mercedes have not been able to provide him with that car. Other teams seem to have made an unexpected leap in performance.
Aston Martin made an impressive start to the season with Fernando Alonso in the car. Alonso now has 5 podiums in 6 races. This has helped Aston Martin to stay ahead of Mercedes in the WCC. Now another team threatens to outperform the German Manufacturer.
🗣️ | 🇪🇸 Helmut Marko on the other teams in FP1:
“Alpine has taken a step forward. It’s good for us when a new third party joins the competition.
Mercedes was relatively far behind. Ferrari too, no matter what tyres, and the long runs didn’t look so good either.” pic.twitter.com/FAD9YjsBkD
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) June 2, 2023
Both Alpine and Aston Martin did not place very high in the WCC in 2022. This means they will have a lot more Aerodynamic Testing Time than the teams that finished higher in 2022 like Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari. So we could see Alpine and Aston Martin bring in more efficient upgrades this season to help them close the gap with the leaders. This puts doubts on whether Lewis Hamilton can win a Championship or not with Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton’s 8th Championship plans in trouble
This sudden improvement in performance by Alpine could mean that Lewis Hamilton will have to settle for the 7 Championships he already has.
Lewis Hamilton’s current contract is set to expire after the end of this season. Although both Hamilton and Mercedes have been very vocal about extending their partnership, recent performance struggles may lead Lewis Hamilton to doubt his future with Mercedes.
Mercedes brought their first major upgrade to Monaco. Although Hamilton seemed happy with the car on Friday, they were not able to find the pace on Saturday and Sunday. They seemed to be lagging during Friday’s practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix as well.
P3 and P5 on track. A strong day, today for @OconEsteban 💙#Alpine #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/jdYQSdxczH
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) June 2, 2023
While the Mercedes fans were hoping for a good result in Monaco, Alpine outperformed them by achieving their podium. If Alpine is able to challenge Mercedes for the rest of the season, Lewis Hamilton may lose his confidence in the team.
A first look at *some of* the highly anticipated Mercedes upgrade 👀
Spot anything interesting? #MonacoGP | #F1 pic.twitter.com/GpDrCWnE6f
— The Race (@wearetherace) May 25, 2023
There are already talks suggesting that Ferrari is trying to recruit Lewis Hamilton to pair up with Charles Leclerc. As of now, the only team among the top 5 with vacancies for next season is Mercedes. However, 2024 will see vacancies in most of the top teams including Ferrari and Red Bull. So if Lewis Hamilton loses confidence in Mercedes, we might see him extend his contract for 1 more year and make a move for the 8th WDC title.