F1: Alonso questions Alpine’s ‘new rear wing’ claim

(GMM) Fernando Alonso has questioned the accuracy of his boss’ recent claim that a “new rear wing” this weekend in Barcelona will give Alpine “a bit more performance”.

According to El Mundo Deportivo newspaper, new Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer said in Miami that the Renault-owned team was planning to “introduce a new rear wing in Spain”.

“It should be more efficient than the last one we used here in February, so it should give us a bit more performance,” he said.

However, when faced with the news that the new rear wing is a performance upgrade for Alpine’s 2022 car, 40-year-old Alonso took issue with that description.

“The rear wing, which I have read about these past days, is a rear wing only for this circuit. In Monza, I can already tell you that we will have another new wing because it will be a Monza wing,” said the Spaniard.

“So there is no evolution,” he insisted. “It is simply tuned for the circuit itself. So that is a bit of doubt to resolve,” Alonso said at a media event for personal sponsor Finetwork.

As for a goal for his home race, Alonso said his car is good enough for “points”. As for the possibility of a podium, he answered: “Hopefully soon.”

Alonso and Szafnauer may be splitting hairs over the rear wing issue, but what is clear is that the two-time champion wants to stay in F1 next year.

Whether it will be with Alpine, however, is currently open.

“The future – we’ll see after the summer, which is what I had in mind since the preseason,” Alonso said.

“I have already said that in the summer I would think about what the best option is.”

When asked specifically about the Aston Martin rumors, he insisted: “I haven’t talked to anyone yet.”