Alpine’s Otmar Szafnauer pleased with “strong haul” of points after eventful race in Silverstone

It was a bittersweet weekend for BWT Alpine F1 Team at the British Grand Prix, as Fernando Alonso earned a season-best finish of fifth place, while Esteban Ocon had to retire due to a mid-race fuel pump issue.

Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer was happy to see all the drivers involved in the first-lap incident make it out okay, considering the magnitude of the crash that ensued– adding that this outcome was made possible due to Formula 1’s safety standards.

“First of all, it’s good news that the drivers involved in the incident at the beginning of the race are OK. It’s testament to the extraordinary safety standards and implementation in Formula 1 that everyone was OK after a quite frightening incident. 

Szafnauer was pleased with Alonso’s result after the “brilliant” race, which saw him implement a successful strategy and allowed him to engage in a dynamic battle with the frontrunners for the final podium places. 

“From there, this afternoon, we’ve witnessed a quite brilliant Grand Prix, which, for Formula 1, is a great advert for the exceptional entertainment of this sport. We’re very pleased with Fernando’s fifth place. He drove a well measured race and credit to the team for the pit-stop under the Safety Car, which allowed him to importantly jump Lando [Norris] and fight at the front towards the end.”

Involved in the first lap incidents, Ocon was on for solid points after his car was repaired during the red flag. Unfortunately, he ended up being unable to complete the race due the aforementioned technical issue. 

“On Esteban’s side, he too was driving superbly well after sustaining damage early on in the race. The team did a great job in repairing his car and then he put himself into contention to score good points. Unfortunately, a suspected fuel pump issue forced him to retire, and we will get on top of these issues quickly in order to ensure we achieve our goals. 

“We leave here with ten points, a strong haul, and we’re looking forward to going to Austria this week ready to score double points.”