Eyes on the prize

What is the latest within the team?

Clearly the team has been quite prominent in the world media in the daysafter Hungary and just before the summer break, however, it is absolutely nodistraction for us once we hit the race track again. While we’re losing afantastic asset in Fernando for next year, his decision has zero bearing onwhat we want to achieve together in 2022. We’ll be pushing hard as a team -with both Fernando and Esteban in the car for the remainder of the year - inorder to put ourselves in the best possible position to meet the aforementionedtargets for this championship season. I know both drivers are highly motivatedso we’re all looking forward to channeling that energy on track.

Are you looking forward to racing at the legendarySpa-Francorchamps?

This segment of the calendar is probably the toughest and most enduringpart of the season as we round off racing in Europe with a busy triple header.That said, we race on three iconic and legendary race circuits, whichdefinitely have their place in Formula 1. Spa-Francorchamps is a fantasticvenue with teams and drivers alike always looking forward to race there. Thereare some small on-track changes for safety at Spa this year, which will beinteresting to assess. It’s normally a place where we see some variations inthe weather, so we’ll have to be alert to all conditions. Whatever happens,rain or shine, as a team our mindset is clear: we’ll work hard together toachieve the best possible results.

Sixyears on

EstebanOcon returns to Spa-Francorchamps, a circuit where he made his Formula 1 debutsix years ago. Already up on his season tally from this time last year, Estebanwill be looking to carry his current form into the remaining nine rounds of theChampionship.

Howwas your summer break Esteban?

“It was good, I spent some time in Sardinia, relaxing andrecharging after what was an intense first part of the season. It was amuch-needed break for everyone but I know we are all excited to be racingagain. I came back home with plenty of time and started preparations for Spaearly to be ready for the weekend and the rest of the upcoming triple-header.We’ve also been in the simulator this week undergoing the usual preparationsand I know the team are raring to go.”

Belgium up first. What are your thoughtson this iconic track?

“Spa is a place that I know most drivers really enjoydriving at, including myself. It’s even more special for me as it is where Imade my Formula 1 debut in 2016. It was a moment I’ll never forget, a momentwhere a dream came true. In terms of performance, there’s been some goodresults in the past like when I qualified third in 2018 and when we finishedfourth and fifth in the race in 2020. It’s also the track where we also lostAnthoine a few years back. We are always racing with him in our thoughts and Istill personally think about him every day.”

How do you approach driving aroundSpa-Francorchamps?

“This circuit is definitely part of one of those legendarymotorsport tracks. It’s a great place where you can just feel the historyaround you all of the time. There are of course some amazing corners which arealways a pleasure to drive on especially in a modern Formula 1 car. Theseinclude the likes of Raidillon, Pouhon and Blanchimont, and it will also verycool to take Eau Rouge flat in these modern F1 cars. We also find some longstraights and plenty of elevation change on this track which makes for anenjoyable lap where you can find a bit of everything. Overtaking is common inSpa and we know the weather is often mixed, usually resulting in an excitingrace. But let’s maybe hope for a bit less rain than last year this time!”

Recharge off

Fresh from his summer break, Fernando Alonso headsto Belgium for what will be his seventeenth Formula 1 Grand Prix at the famousracing venue at Spa-Francorchamps. The Spaniard will look to pick-up where heleft off in July and depart Belgium with a ninth points-finish in a row.

In such a busy calendar year of racing, what do youdo during a summer shutdown?

“We all miss racing in August but the time off torecharge the batteries is needed. After 20 years of racing at the pinnacle of motorsports,I have learnt that taking some time to recover is very important,especially during such a hectic year. Now that we have more than 20 races in aseason, it’s even more important to make sure you maximise your recoverytime. But it’s important to keep some exercise routine, as once we getback to racing it’s relentless until December.”

Do you enjoy racing at Spa-Francorchamps?

“I do enjoy racing at Spa. It’s one of the mosthistoric races on the calendar. We usually have interesting races there as thecircuit lends itself to lots of overtaking opportunities. The weather is alwaysmixed there too, so there can be a few surprises. Wewouldn’t mind some rain this weekend as the car performs quite wellin these conditions. We want to put on a show for the fans especially afterlast year!”

What are your targets for the rest of theseason?

“I want to enjoy the rest of this season withAlpine after a strong first half of the year. There is still much we canachieve together, and I’ll be pushing hard until the last race in Abu Dhabi.Our aim is to finish fourth in the Constructors’, and I think we’ll be in for atight battle with McLaren for the remainder of the season. We showed strongdevelopment in the first half of the year and consistently outscored ournearest on-track rivals in the last few races. We have to keep up this strongdevelopment rate from both factories if we are to maintain our position.”

AlpineAcademy

The AlpineAcademy drivers Jack Doohan, Olli Caldwell, Victor Martins and Caio Collet returnto the track after the summer break, this time in the Ardennes region ofBelgium at Spa-Francorchamps. Olli Caldwell won’t be joining his Academyteammates in Spa this weekend due to a race ban, instead shifting his focustowards his preparation for the next round a week later in Zandvoort.

In FIAFormula 2, Jack Doohan will aim for back-to-back race wins after a victory lasttime out in Budapest. The Australian youngster sits just twelve points awayfrom fourth place in the Championship, and with only four rounds left of theseason, he will be hoping to score some more points.

VictorMartins enters the weekend with a cool head, as he hopes to regain his FIAFormula 3 Championship lead with only three rounds to go. The Frenchman is tiedon 104 points with Championship rival Isack Hadjar. Meanwhile, Caio will focuson extending his collection of Formula 3 points, after an impressive SprintRace victory in Budapest.

JackDoohan: “I’mlooking forward to Spa-Francorchamps, it is an awesome circuit and is one of myfavourites. The circuit has a mix of high speeds, like Eau Rouge, from there itgoes downhill and there are high speeds mixed in with medium speeds before thelast bus stop which is very slow. Overall, I’m looking forward to getting backin the car and getting the last four races underway.”

VictorMartins: “Afterthe summer break I am really looking to getting back. It has been good torelax, switch off and recharge. Spa has always been quite challenging in the pastfor me; I have done well but know where to improve. We have some good momentumfrom the past few weekends. I’m not focused on the championship as such – I’mfocused on getting pole and winning the races, as then I know the position willcome.”

CaioCollet: “Iam looking forward to driving around Spa-Francorchamps again, it is an iconictrack and one that I enjoy driving. Last year I had a good result, and nowafter the summer break the team and myself are ready to push hard for thetriple header after a successful time in Budapest. We want to get some goodpoints to climb up the championship with hopefully some more podiums too.”

BelgianGrand Prix Factfile

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·····Renault-powered cars have had eight wins, 28 podiums,and nine poles, and ten fastest laps and 457 points in Belgium.