Fernando Alonso has been reflecting on how the Alpine team - formerly known as Renault - have changed since he previously raced for them earlier in his F1 career. The Spaniard chose to make his comeback with the French outfit in 2021, having driven for them twice before in the sport. Alonso first became the team's test driver in 2002, and joined the race team in 2003. He went on to win back-to-back World Championships there in 2005 and 2006, before moving to McLaren for 2007. However, just one year later in 2008, Alonso returned to Renault, where he remained until his switch to Ferrari in 2010. Alonso feels that there have been quite a few changes since he last worked with the squad in 2009. "It is different," Alonso told the Beyond The Grid podcast. "I think, Formula 1 did change. That is like a revolution, like a digital era. Also [in terms of] technology, they changed the hybrid power units. How sophisticated the cars [are] now, aerodynamically, is a night and day change on the cars in 2009. "So the team did change in the way they develop different tools. The facilities are better. I think the people at the factory are clever now, and they are obviously up to the new standards of Formula 1."
Alpine still have the "same DNA" and "winning mentality"
Whilst there are several ways in which Alpine have evolved, Alonso believes that the team have retained the same "spirit" since his previous spell with them. "At the same time, in Enstone, I think still remains the same DNA of the people working there, with a family environment, family spirit and a winning mentality," he explained. "Because they succeed once, and they want to repeat it. Even if they are not the same people working there, they are maybe the son of some of the people that were working there. "There are a lot of people willing to repeat that success soon." Alonso finished his comeback season in P10 in the World Championship, whilst he and teammate Esteban Ocon helped Alpine to secure fifth in the Constructors' Championship.
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