In Austin, Alpine makes a double entry into the points
After a difficult start to the championship, Alpine turned things around in Austin. The French team placed both of its cars in the points zone. It is the best result of the year.
From qualifying onwards, Alpine displayed its ambitions. Apart from a wasp in Mick Schumacher’s car cockpit, the fast lap exercise was satisfactory for the French brand. Charles Milesi placed the #35 car in fourth position, less than four tenths off the pole position. Already a great victory.
The first laps of the race were difficult for the Milesi – Habsburg – Chatin crew. As a result of contact with the Cadillac, the trio received a drive through penalty, which was quite penalizing on this Texan track.
This setback did not affect the morale of the French troops. Over the laps, the blue cars climbed up the hierarchy. The final sprint was decisive for Alpine. With double relays, Philippe Sinault’s men continued their ascent.
Confirm at Fuji.
Car number 35 A424 climbed to fifth place before fending off BMW number 20 to achieve the team’s best result since returning to the top category. Alongside Mick Schumacher, the sister car finished ninth, securing the first double top ten for A424. It is the first time the team has achieved such results this year.
« It was a good weekend with the fourth place in qualifying and the fifth position in the race. I think we couldn’t hope for better without ever having driven on this track before. This result is a bit unexpected, but it is due to the excellent work of the team to provide us with a performing car and an efficient strategy. It gives us even more confidence for the future, knowing that we have a lot of things to work on. We will go to Fuji being able to build on this solid foundation, says, satisfied, Charles Milesi.
This American performance erases the painful experience of Le Mans where both cars had to retire within 45 minutes of each other. This gives a confidence boost before the next race in Fuji on September 13th.
