Alpine Executive Director, Marcin Budkowski has revealed that the team is looking forward to what they hope will be a ‘special’ home race at 2021 French Grand Prix.
This weekend will see Alpine race at home on French soil for the first time since their name change from Renault, as the French GP returns after an one-year absence due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on the chance to lead Alpine into their home race, Budkowski described the opportunity as ‘special’ because their HQ is based in Viry-Chatillon, despite the F1 factory being based in Enstone, United Kingdom so this is in effect the first of two home races with the British GP to come next month.
Budkowski though has warned both Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso that they both need a strong weekend, commenting: “There are more fans supporting us in the grandstands, VIPs and executives from the Renault Group and therefore the extra pressure to perform.”
Race pace meanwhile has been under scrutiny by the team due to a deficit in their race performance compared to across single-lap qualifying pace, with Budkowski feeling that the issue is circuit related and hopes that recent data analysis will bring ‘a good result in France’ this weekend.
Alpine will also bring ‘minor improvements’ to their A521 alongside ‘modifications’ of their rear wing following a change in technical directive from the FIA.
‘extra motivation and energy’
For Esteban Ocon, this race will also mark his first home race since 2018 after spending 2019 on the sidelines with Mercedes, before the race itself was cancelled last season
Ocon therefore has confessed to feeling ‘extra motivation and energy’ heading into the race weekend, as he and Alpine seeks a positive Grand Prix on home soil after retiring in Baku with a turbocharger issue just a few laps into the race.
Reflecting on a ‘frustrating’ race in Baku, Ocon felt that the weekend just simply failed to ‘click’ after a solid Qualifying was followed up by his retirement on lap four, masking the chance to show what his car was ‘capable’ of achieving’ in a tyre controversy hit race.
The 24 year-old also spoke of having ‘nice memories’ of previous races at Circuit Paul Ricard where he claimed his maiden single-seater victory in 2013 Formula Renault Eurocup, although he feels that each lap is ‘intense’ with a mixture of high-speed sections and corner combinations..
Alonso meanwhile is set to race at his ninth French GP in F1 despite only previously racing ‘once’ at Circuit Paul Ricard before, so is hoping that some tweaks to the track compared to 2018 will help him ‘put on a show for the fans.’
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