Alonso and Ocon went a little too far in Brazil according to Laurent Rossi

Alpine could hope to bring back some points during Saturday’s sprint race at Interlagos. The French team had positioned their cars in 6th and 7th positions for the start of this race. But the start is going to turn into a tragedy.

A sprint race with nightmare-like vibes

Esteban Ocon was hit by his teammate at turn 4 and then Alonso ended up damaging his front wing at the end of that lap while trying to overtake his teammate. Both Alpines finished the race at the bottom of the standings in 16th and 17th positions. A true disappointment for the French team, as they lost points to McLaren in the World Constructors’ Championship.

Otmar Szafnauer expressed his dissatisfaction by stating that both drivers had let the team down with these collisions. However, the French team’s drivers managed to salvage the weekend by finishing 5th and 8th in the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Laurent Rossi directly addressed the drivers after the sprint race, reminding them of the team’s objective and reprimanding their on-track behavior.

« I reminded them of our contracts, and I reminded them that I have plenty of drivers who aspire to race in their place, and that it would be a shame to end the year with two other drivers, even if it costs me a lot.

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A great performance

Despite this incident with significant consequences on Saturday, the CEO of Alpine wishes to congratulate their drivers for their impressive comeback through the pack during the Grand Prix. Thanks to this excellent performance, the team has a 19-point lead over McLaren, a comfortable advantage at the start of the final race of the season.

They took responsibility, and they did a brilliant job on Sunday. This happens to everyone, I suppose. That’s what makes these drivers incredible champions, they have that killer instinct.