The 2020 driver market was sent into overdrive even before the Covid-19 affected season started in July. Ferrari announced Sebastian Vettel would be leaving the team, to be replaced by Carlos Sainz. It was then announced that Daniel Ricciardo would love over to McLaren to replace Sainz. This then left a vacancy at Renault alongside Esteban Ocon. And a lot of people expected either Vettel, or one of the Renault academy drivers, to step into Ricciardo’s seat. But in the end, the French manufacturer chose Fernando Alonso, to drive for what would be rebranded Alpine in 2021 as Vettel signed for Aston Martin.

This caused a bit of a stir among fans and those in the paddock. Many weren’t sure if Alonso would be able to live with the pace of some younger guys on the grid, such as teammate Ocon. Most just were baffled as to why Renault had signed him, given his age. But as the 2021 season progressed, it turned out that Alpine had inherited potentially one of the best driver combinations on the grid. Ocon, after struggling a bit in 2020, started to come of age and won the Hungarian Grand Prix. Alonso himself would grab a podium in Qatar, and he might just have been the biggest surprise of F1 2021.

The Early Part Of The Season

Fernando Alonso Bahrain 2021
via Daily Sabah

It was perhaps naïve of people to think Alonso would enter 2021 having the upper hand over Ocon. He had been out of the sport for three years, and had to get used to a very different car to the last F1 car he had raced, the 2018 McLaren. Some test runs in 2020 had at least given Alonso an idea of what to expect. Remarkably, he qualified the Alpine in 9th at Bahrain but slipped back in the race, but scored points in Imola after Kimi Räikkönen was disqualified.

Fernando Alonso And Lewis Hamilton Hungary 2021
via Planet F1

He started to look like the Alonso of old in Portugal with a very feisty drive to eight place. Things were even better after Azerbaijan when he showed his class in the two lap shootout to finish sixth by the end of the Grand Prix. But the highlight of Alonso’s season may not be his Qatar podium, but his drive to fourth in Hungary. This was when he defended with everything he had against a charging Lewis Hamilton for some 10 laps, defending which helped his teammate Ocon win the race after a Mercedes strategy blunder. Alonso was well and truly back.

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Consistent Finishes Lead To Podium Finish

Fernando Alonso 3rd Place Qatar 2021
via Autosport

Throughout the rest of the year, Alonso would go on to be one of 2021s most consistent drivers. His race craft was clearly as good as it had ever been, and he surprised even himself with a sixth place finish in Russia, only denied a late run at the podium thanks to a rain shower. That consistency would be rewarded come Qatar, however, with a sensational podium finish. This all stemmed from two grid penalties for Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas, which meant Alonso started from third on the grid.

Alonso Qatar Podium 2021
via Evening Standard

An awesome move around the outside of Pierre Gasly at the start was sheer class, and this set up his brilliant run to third place. Verstappen would pass him within a few laps, but despite several punctures for drivers on a one-stop strategy, Alonso was able to hold off a late charge by Sergio Perez. “El Plan” as it had been dubbed by driver and fans worked to perfection and the emotion and delight on Alonso’s face said it all. After no podium finish since 2014 in F1, this was just reward for a season that surprised many.

A Shrewd Move By Renault

Fernando-Alonso-under-lights-in-Qatar-planetF1
via Planet F1

When Renault signed Alonso in 2020, they no doubt knew they would be signing a fearsome driver, and that proved to be the case in 2021. Alpine were no doubt delighted as Alonso just got better and better as the season went on. What also helped was how good the team dynamic was between Alonso and Ocon, with the expected fireworks not developing as fans had feared. Alonso was the perfect team player in Hungary, and Ocon returned the favor in Qatar to help Alonso to his podium finish. Signing Alonso was a shrewd move by Renault.

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El Plan Activated For 2022

Alonso Abu Dhabi 2021 "El Plan" Rear Wing
via XPB Images

No one is really sure what El Plan means, but whatever it is, it looks like it will be well and truly activated for 2022. Alonso’s genius was back on show for all to see in 2021 and Alpine can enter Formula 1’s new era knowing they have one of the best driver pairings on the grid. Perhaps only the Ferrari combination of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc is better than Alpine’s. The prospect of a fast Alpine that will allow Alonso to win races again is a truly exciting one, and then the rest of the field will feel the force of El Plan.

Sources: Motorsport, Daily Sabah, Planet F1, Autosport, Evening Standard,