Fernando Alonso beyond caring as Alpine frustration boils over

Alpine - Fernando Alonso

Alonso beyond caring as Alpine frustration boils over

Alonso has retired from four races due to poor reliability this season

Sam Hall

Friday 4 November 2022 11:18

Fernando Alonso has conceded to counting down the days to his Alpine exit after reliability trouble forced him to retire from a fourth race of the season.

The Spaniard failed to reach the chequered flag at the Mexico City Grand Prix after a cylinder problem in his engine caused a terminal failure.

Alonso was lapping in ninth prior to his exit and had nursed the problem for 14 laps.

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Unable to hide his frustration, when asked what he believed had gone wrong with his car, he said: “I don’t care now.

"I just go out there, drive as fast as I can, go to Abu Dhabi, celebrate with the team our last race and fly back home.”

Asked if he is now counting down the days until he joins Aston Martin, Alonso added: “Yes, 100 percent.”

Alonso level 'my highest of the season'

Alonso trails team-mate Esteban Ocon by 11 points and one position in the drivers' standings but is confident he would be considerably better off had it not been for the poor reliability record of his Alpine.

His latest retirement was particularly painful given it allowed McLaren to close the gap to seven points in the battle to finish fourth in the constructors' standings.

“I started ninth, I did a good start and then I controlled [Valtteri] Bottas for the first 10 laps and then I started pushing a little bit and I opened a 20- or 30-seconds gap with our main competitors," said Alonso.

“I felt very slow in qualifying, and in the race, it felt very fast. As I said, Austin and here I was doing, I think, my best races.

"My level is at the highest of the season and the results and the standings at the end of the year will be one of the lowest.

“It’s a little bit frustrating but there’s nothing that I can do.”