Fernando Alonso is left ruing the misfortune he has experienced in the early part of 2022 that has possibly denied him of a pole position and a podium.
The Spaniard was on for a P6 finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March when an engine failure put him out of the race, and he would go on to suffer an oil seal issue in Australia having set a purple middle sector, while his first sector was also quicker than that of polesitter Charles Leclerc.
He was unable to make a full recovery through the field due to a Safety Car that put him out of position when he made his scheduled pit stop, and the Spaniard’s fortune did not improve in Imola either.
READ: Alonso responds to speculation about Alpine sacking him: ‘If I was 25 there would not be this talk’
The double world champion was tagged by Mick Schumacher in the Tamburello chicane on the opening lap, dislodging the cover on his sidepod and causing an early exit from the race.
All told, based on the assumption that he might well have finished third in Australia before the deployment of the Safety Car, Alonso has lost at least 30 points in the championship this season, meaning that he might well have been in the top seven had luck gone his way.
As it is though, the racing gods have not looked favourably on the 40-year-old so far this year, leaving him frustrated with the “painful” preoccupation of what might have been.
“I think there are a lot of unfortunate moments for me so far in the championship, out of my hands or out of my control, and this is another example,” he said, as per Mundo Deportivo.
“I’d rather finish the season better than start it well and then finish it badly. But at the same time, obviously, when you watch the races on TV, and I’ve been watching too many at the moment, to have only two points in the championship when I should have maybe 25 or 30… that’s painful.”
The at times catastrophic cataclysms that have befallen the Alpine driver are not reflective of his scintillating performances since his return to the pinnacle of motorsport last year.
He has previously commented on speculation that he might be replaced next season by reserve driver Oscar Piastri, maintaining that his performance is what counts, not his age.
“Obviously, if I was 25 there would not be this talk. It’s an age thing,” he said.
“People try to find a way for the young talents, but I think this is about performance. And last year, I think I did well. I finished slightly in front of Esteban. Let’s see this year, how the battle goes!”
Alonso sits 15th in the Drivers’ Championship, having scored points in Bahrain, but retired from the races in Jeddah and Imola.