Alpine can take the fight to rivals, insists Szafnauer

Alpine boss, Otmar Szafnauer is assured that the French crew can take the battle to its rivals as soon as the event conflict will get underway.

After all, the French outfit suffered a serious set-back in Australia when Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly clashed on the restart. Nonetheless, buoyed by the enormous step ahead Aston Martin has taken this season, Szafnauer is satisfied his crew can take the battle to its rivals.

“We expect we are able to battle with them,” mentioned the American. “We too have a decent-size improve coming for Baku after which a bit of bit extra solely per week later in Miami, so we proceed to push the upgrades out.

“The vital factor is that all of them work after we put them on the automotive,” he admitted, “and we’ve good correlation with our simulation instruments. We had good correlation final yr and if that continues and if we proceed to push the upgrades, we’ll take that growth battle over the season to the others round us.”

Whereas Gasly completed ninth in Bahrain, his teammate’s automotive was ultimately retired because of the sheer variety of time penalties meted out to its driver, whereas at Jeddah the pair completed eighth and ninth.

Wanting good for a double-points end in Melbourne, the pair had been eradicated when Gasly went off monitor on the restart and picked up his teammate on rejoning the monitor.

The injury to each automobiles was vital and regardless of the lengthy break between Melbourne and Baku has compromised progress on the improve programme.

“The accident has shifted the priorities,” admits Szafnauer. “For now, we want spare elements for Baku.

“You don’t simply rebuild issues like a entrance wing in a fortnight,” he continues. “We nonetheless must test whether or not that has an affect on whether or not we are able to convey our growth package deal to its full extent.”

Looking forward to Baku, he says: It is actually arduous to know what different will convey. Final yr, if I look again, I believe our growth price was fairly good, and if we are able to sustain the identical this yr, we must always, over the yr, get nearer.

“It is actually arduous to know. As you realize, it is a relative sport. I do know what we have got coming. What I do not know is what they’ve coming.”