“Both Fernando and Esteban battled hard and dug deep” – Alpine’s Laurent Rossi

The Alpine F1 Team secured a brilliant fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship after a double points finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso finished eighth with Esteban Ocon right behind in ninth at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Both Alpines battled hard throughout the race and for the majority of it were stuck in the same DRS train, Ocon pitted first whereas Alonso made the most of a VSC to gain a great amount of time on his rivals. In the end the pair crossed the line eighth and ninth respectively, securing fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship for the team.

It’s been a year of surprises for Alpine, with their win at Hungary and podium at Qatar, the team have shown signs of real pace at times this season. If they can perform more consistently in 2022, then there is no reason why they can’t battle for third in the Constructors’ next season.

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, was one of many to congratulate Max Verstappen on his world title, before he spoke about what a year it has been for the team.

“Firstly, congratulations to Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes for a fantastic finale to the season. It was a brilliant end to a captivating year in Formula 1 and the perfect advert for what an entertaining sport we have the privilege to compete in. The drama they created today only makes us hungrier to be up at the top of the grid fighting for wins and championships in the near future.

“That is our ultimate goal and we will not stop the hard work to achieve that. Our race today was a fitting end to what has been a very memorable campaign. Both Fernando and Esteban battled hard and dug deep to score double points. Credit to them, to the strategists, to the pit-stop crew and to everyone at Enstone and Viry who has contributed to this success and consolidating fifth in the championship.

“I hope everyone in the team enjoys a good break over Christmas while we keep an eye on seizing future opportunities, especially from next year with the rule changes. Thanks to everyone on both sides of the Channel for a great season, capped with memorable races including Fernando’s podium and Esteban’s victory. We want to create more memories and moments like this and we’ll remain motivated yet humble in achieving our targets.”