Alpine’s Fernando Alonso has revealed that he is “looking forward to the challenge” of racing in Monaco this weekend at 2022 Monaco Grand Prix.
Alonso comes into this race off the back of a ninth-placed finish in Spain after starting in last place on the grid following a power unit change.
Reflecting on his home race, Alonso was happy to have “a lot of fun” in Spain in front of packed home crowds, although he noticed that “the DRS seemed very powerful around there and it helped because it’s usually a very tough circuit to overtake on.”
Monaco though will be another circuit where overtaking is difficult which Alonso believes will “be even more challenging than normal,” given the new-generation cars and slow speed corners on top of traditional traffic in Qualifying and one mistake guaranteeing a car in the barriers.
The Spaniard therefore is excited about what lies ahead as he added: “I’m looking forward to the challenge!”
Esteban Ocon meanwhile isn’t making any predictions ahead of the weekend but believes that “good stability under braking and a solid engine that responds well out of the corners” will be key to nailing a good result.
Ocon though finished 12th in Qualifying for Spanish GP but knows that an improved result is “crucial” given how important Qualifying will be in Monaco, although the forecast for rain on Sunday could create an intriguing race as the Frenchman looks for “a smoother weekend” in the Principality.
Alpine Team Principal, Otmar Szafnauer echoed Ocon’s thoughts on Qualifying as he added: “We need to ensure our one-lap pace is good, which, in general, it has been, apart from the anomaly in Spain where we were not as quick on Saturday as we were on Friday.”
Szafnauer also noted that Alpine will need “meticulous preparation” in getting to grips with the circuit and set-up quickly in order to give themselves a chance to qualify high up the grid, having struggled for pace on Saturday rather than Friday in Spain.
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