In a profession of before long-to-be-file-breaking longevity, Fernando Alonso has seldom seasoned staying out-scored by a crew mate.

Even throughout the notorious period he shared a crew with Lewis Hamilton, the pair finished the 12 months tied on factors, Alonso trailing in the standings due to the fact his crew mate experienced scored much more 2nd-spot finishes. Only Jenson Button can lay assert to acquiring out-scored Alonso around a period, performing so in 2015 when the pair shared the woefully sluggish and unreliable McLaren-Honda MP4-thirty.

Is Esteban Ocon about to sign up for Button on that small record? Immediately after the very first thirteen races of 2022 it is a distinct probability. Ocon, who completed just 7 factors powering Alonso very last 12 months, qualified prospects him by seventeen at this phase.

This has prompted some to recommend forty one-12 months-aged Alonso’s abilities are waning. Could it even recommend his Alpine crew was not troubled at the notion of permitting him slip off to rivals Aston Martin upcoming 12 months? But this would be a total mis-studying of his period to day. Alonso’s performances have been much more than up to scratch, he just has not experienced the rub of the inexperienced – and which is rarely been down to him.

Complex problems wrecked Alonso’s qualifying operate in MelbourneBoth Alpine motorists have experienced dependability troubles, but some of Alonso’s have been spectacularly sick-timed. This sort of as the fault which struck although he was threatening to place his A522 on the entrance row in Melbourne, or the glitch that prevented him starting up the dash race in Austria, leaving him very last on the grid for the grand prix.

Alonso has constantly been a driver whose individual strengths lie on race working day. Which is not to say he habitually beneath-performs around a solitary traveling lap, as his snug eight-four direct around Ocon on Saturdays displays (most strikingly shown by his extraordinary lap to bag a entrance-row commence in Canada).

Alonso vs Ocon: Race by raceBAHSAUAUSEMIMIASPAMONAZECANGBRAUTFRAHUNAlonsoQR

Alonso retired just after successful Jeddah scrap with OconBut even in his fifth ten years Alonso’s race speed is as relentless as at any time and his wheel-to-wheel fight just as tenacious. His generate in Jeddah was a great demonstration of this: Immediately after prevailing in a tricky scrap with Ocon, Alonso was on study course to bag the lion’s share of the team’s factors, then was sidelined by complex problems.

Also substantially of this has still left him on the improper facet of the factors divide at Alpine. But it states a ton that he qualified prospects on two of the other metrics, and retirements mostly account for the purpose he trails Ocon six-four in conditions of which driver has completed in advance on Sundays.

None of this detracts from Ocon’s strong effectiveness in the other Alpine. At the exact same time, it would not be truthful to Alonso to contact the factors change involving the two an precise reflection of how properly they’ve executed, or an indicator that his very best times are powering him.

Alonso vs Ocon: Benefits summary

Alonso vs Ocon: Lap occasions

Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Detrimental price: Alonso was more quickly Beneficial price: Ocon was more quickly

2022 F1 period

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