Fernando Alonso neutralizes the Saturday duel with Esteban Ocon and is already, de facto, the first Alpine rider

Difficulty adapting to the conditions of the Alpine complicated especially on Saturdays Fernando Alonso during the first part of the championship. Once you have felt comfortable, that factor has already been forgotten the eighth classification of the year, that of the Styrian GP, has managed to equate personal duel with Esteban Ocon.

Fernando Alonso is seen with 43 years still fighting in Formula 1 and remembers that Hamilton “was never invincible”

The Asturian pilot admitted in Q2 that he was excited. With these words, he pointed out that he had achieved a great return to pass the cut back to the ‘top 10’, something that has become customary. But above all, in addition to a perfect lap (within his possibilities) in the second round, he has managed to put a 4-4 on the scales on Saturdays with his partner. He called it a “precious” return.

Given that Alonso is ahead of Ocon in the world championship and that the duels in the race are also in his favor, it can be said that, for practical purposes, the Spanish He is the number 1 driver of the French team.

It was a very difficult qualifying for everyone, as always at this circuit. Alonso, who of the seven times he has raced here has not finished five, was one of those who best read when to hit the track, given that the changing conditions did not leave much room for failure.

Carlos Sainz, for example, could not go to Q3 by just 48 thousandths, with a lap that was taken away included. The Madrilenian leaves this Saturday in a poor 12th place, which knows very little considering that his partner Charles Leclerc it did make the cut.

Verstappen sweeps Hamilton, desperate

The pole, and they are three out of eight this year, went to the World Championship leader. Max verstappen again demonstrated a lethal superiority in this classification, especially in a Q3 in which it was the only one to go down from 1:04 in two laps in a row.

The blushing top of Valtteri Bottas in the free practice in Styria: “It could have run over our mechanics!”

Lewis hamilton He tried a different strategy. Made three attempts and not the usual two, after saving two sets of soft tires for this Q3. He did not avail: was even surpassed by Valtteri Bottas in the clock, although he will not start 2nd but 5th due to the penalty that has been dragging since Friday for his absurd spin on pit road. At Mercedes they are being swept away by Red Bull and it’s not all about the pit stops.

The one that no longer surprises in that area above is Lando norris. The McLaren again swept Daniel Ricciardo (who was left out of Q3, again) and will start fourth in a circuit where he already knows what it is to step on the podium.