Alpine’s Fernando Alonso has labelled Formula 1 “boring” due to the dominance by Red Bull and Ferrari this season.
The top two teams have taken all of the 11 victories on offer this season between Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.
The only other team to feature on the podium this year are Mercedes, who have fallen back after winning all of the previous eight constructors’ titles.
The performance loss for the Silver Arrows is mainly down to the new technical regulations, which brought back ground effect aerodynamics in a bid to improve the racing spectacle.
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Some teams were always going to adapt much better to others initially, which is why there is a big gap between the front and the back of the grid, but the teams further back will eventually develop, and the subsequent hope is that everyone will be closer together.
The first part of the equation has more or less been achieved, but it is now a waiting game for the pack to bunch up a bit more.
“So-so,” was Alonso’s reply when asked by NOS if the new rules have worked.
“Unfortunately, Formula 1 is still very predictable.”
Last season, there were six winners in Formula 1. Sir Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez all stood on the top step in the battle between Mercedes and Red Bull, with Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo claiming shock wins in Hungary and Italy respectively.
But with such a disparity between the teams this year, there is a smaller chance of the number of winners rising above four.
“I don’t know any other sport like that,” stated Alonso.
The double world champion produced a sensation performance to qualify second in Canada, and might have been on pole in Australia had it not been for an oil seal failure.
A Safety Car would then deny him the chance to get onto the podium in Melbourne, so there is some hope of others getting in amongst the fight in the top four, but these opportunities and few and far between.
“But it’s still too boring, even if this is a feature of Formula 1, there will always be teams that are faster than others,” explained Alonso.
The fact that Alonso is in a midfield car – albeit one that has taken a big stride forward this year – and far away from Red Bull, Ferrari and even Mercedes a lot of the time, is something that has put a dampener on the 40-year-old’s return to the sport last year.
“[It has] a little,” he added.
“It’s great that sometimes there is a chance to stand out, like in Canada when I started from the front row with Max.
“I was able to show what people no longer expect from me, these things give me motivation, but getting on the podium on my own power? It’s hard to imagine.
“We are not fighting for victories, and I don’t think the situation will improve quickly. The team is focused on the 2023 season already when the car should be better.”
Alonso has perennially maintained that his age does not matter as long as he is delivering results, and while he has been let down by misfortune this season, he has arguably been one of the quickest drivers on the grid this season regarding raw performance.
And basing a driver off their performance alone is something that should keep him in the pinnacle of motorsport.
“I look at the situation differently, in motorsport, only lap time matters,” affirmed Alonso.
“If you are slow, then you are standing in the way of rising talents and should step aside but I think it is drivers other than me who are blocking this fresh blood.”
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Alonso’s current Alpine contract expires at the end of 2022, but he is set to hold talks over the summer break regarding an extension.
There have even been rumours linking him to Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin seat if the 35-year-old decides not to further his deal at the end of this year – silly season is very much in full swing.