"This is a major challenge"- Fernando Alonso reveals why it won't be 'easy' for Alpine to replicate Mercedes

Fernando Alonso revealed that he does not expect Alpine, who are currently tied with McLaren at the top of the midfield in the constructors' standings, to be able to catch up to Mercedes. The Silver Arrows are comfortably placed third in the standings, with 237 points to their name and a 156-point advantage over Alpine.

As reported by MARCA, the Spaniard admitted that Alpine do not have the means to transform their car over the year. This is in contrast to Mercedes, who started off the season on a rough note with their porpoising issues but are now seeing an upward trend in performance and consistency. Alonso said:

“I don’t think it will be easy for us to do what Mercedes does. They have a great organization and we knew they would come back sooner or later. For us, it’s more of a medium/long-term program where we try to improve as much as they did. So I think, for us, it’s a matter of starting next year’s car early enough that we don’t compromise the next project.”

“The big teams can start with next year’s car and at the same time, in parallel, continue improving this year’s car. For other teams, this is a major challenge. Let’s say that slow corners are not our forte. We need a bit of everything. I don’t think we have a weak point in the car that we need to solve, but there are areas to improve everywhere.”

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Fernando Alonso says there is no “guarantee” that he will stay with Alpine beyond 2022

Despite having an impressive run with Alpine, Fernando Alonso recently revealed that he has not confirmed that he will continue racing for the team beyond the 2022 season. He has, however, claimed that his decision will be based on the team's objectives for the coming future.

Speaking to RN365, the Alpine driver admitted that he is unsure about his plans to stay with the French team:

“It’s never a guarantee that you will stay. We have to agree on something, I think, over the break [in August]. In the next weeks or whenever, I will sit down with the team and see what are their expectations. Also, what the next step is on the project, as well. I feel happy, I feel at home in Alpine, but there is no guarantee of anything, for sure.”

Fernando Alonso secured his first podium in seven years at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix last season with a third-place finish. He has, however, had a bit of an unlucky season so far this year, as a result of which he stands 10th in the drivers' standings.