Fernando Alonso is perhaps more ready than anyone else to say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023, with the double World Champion desperate to get out of Alpine.
The Spaniard revealed at the Brazilian Grand Prix last weekend that he “just wants” to “test the green car”, in reference to his imminent switch to Aston Martin.
Alonso’s relationship with Esteban Ocon has been frosty at times; however, the 41-year-old finally saw red after the Interlagos sprint race.
In the sprint race alone the pair collided twice, first on the exit of Turn Four after Alonso was forced onto the kerbs by his team-mate and then again on the same lap, down the start/finish straight.
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The second incident on the opening lap, was actually Alonso’s fault funnily enough, with the Spaniard having been awarded a five-second time penalty.
Alonso hit the right-rear of Ocon’s car after pulling out of the slipstream far too late, breaking his front-wing in the process.
After the sprint he admitted that their partnership is “finally” over after Abu Dhabi, whilst team boss Otmar Szafnauer admitted that the duo had “let the team down”.
The traditional race went much better for Alonso who staggeringly claimed fifth whilst Ocon claimed eighth, meaning Alpine take a 19-point lead over McLaren into the season finale, in the fight for fourth.
Despite the positive end to the weekend, Alonso remained adamant that he just wants to “test” the Aston Martin, with the veteran seemingly done with the Enstone-based team.
“I will be in another team next year, he will have another teammate and everything will be different,” Alonso said after the race.
“I just want to go to Abu Dhabi and test the green car – that is my goal now,” he added.
“It will be the last race, finally.”
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It remains to be seen if Alonso will even be able to test for Aston Martin, though, in the post-Abu Dhabi test, given that he’s contracted to Alpine until the end of 2022.
Given that Alpine are letting Oscar Piastri go early to test for McLaren and that AlphaTauri are giving Pierre Gasly to the French side early, it can be assumed that Alonso will be given permission to drive the AMR22.
“We’re happy that Oscar can start his McLaren career after the last race in Abu Dhabi and do the test and we will be doing the same with Pierre,” said Szafnauer.