Alpine continues its momentum at Fuji
The Alpine #35 completed the hyperpole in sixth position. A result almost similar to what was achieved two weeks ago in Austin. In the United States, the French brand had set the fourth fastest time.
Alpine seems to have found all the solutions to its A424. Reliability is back and performance is there. In Austin, with a fourth place in qualifying and then fifth place in the race, the French brand had impressed.
Two weeks later, Philippe Sinault’s men repeated a similar performance. At least the #35. At the other end of the planet, the trio Milesi/Habsburg/Gounon achieved the sixth fastest time.
If it’s a bit further back compared to the American race, the time difference with the pole position is very small. The Cadillac, which was the fastest, completed a lap of the Fuji circuit in 1:28’901”. On the other hand, the best-placed Alpine in the championship was only two tenths behind (1:29’152”). This is much better than in Austin, where half a second separated the pole sitter from the French car.
Then fast in qualifying, does it mean fast in the race? This is totally possible. In the United States, Alpine had not regressed much in the hierarchy. In Japan, the race pace is very good. In the first and third free practice sessions, car #35 finished in the Top 10, with a fourth position in the final session.
On the other hand, the sister car, #36, has, like the rest of the season, been more in the background. During the Japanese round, it didn’t make it past the first phase of qualifying. It will ultimately start from the fifteenth position. To secure a second double points finish this year, the Vaxivière/Schumacher/Lapierre trio will have to rely on their race pace.
