Alonso laments 'unacceptable' loss of points in Singapore
Monday, 3 October 2022
The Spaniard was not pleased.
Fernando Alonso says he has lost "about 60" points due to mechanical issues across the Formula One season, describing Alpine's problems as "unacceptable" after retiring from the Singapore Grand Prix.
Alpine suffered their first double retirement of the 2022 campaign on Sunday, as suspected power unit issues ended the races of Alonso and team-mate Esteban Ocon.
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Alonso was defending sixth place against the advances of Max Verstappen when the problem first struck, forcing him out of the race after 21 laps. Ocon, meanwhile, followed six laps later.
The issue overshadowed a landmark day for Alonso, who made a record 351st grand prix start, and the Spaniard made his frustration known after the race.
"Again eight or 10 points are gone and there were already about 50 points lost this year," Alonso said. "So there are already about 60, which is unacceptable.
"I am very upset because there had been a good performance in this race on my part throughout the weekend.
"Yes, it was the two [Alpine] cars, but one was behind and out of the points, and it was not as serious as in my case for the points.
"This year, this changes everything. If you gave me 60 more points in the standings and reduced those of the rest – because they are points that the others would not have added – my championship would seem much better, even compared to Mercedes."
Alonso has retired from four of his 17 races in 2022, including back-to-back outings at Monza and Singapore.
The two-time world champion, who is set to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin next year, sits ninth in the drivers' championship standings, seven points behind team-mate Ocon.
THE BIG 350!!!! 💪
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 2, 2022
Fernando Alonso becomes the first driver in Formula 1 history to conquer 350 race starts!
And, what an incredible career it's been so far 🤩#SingaporeGP #F1 @alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/CWKTo2hTtm
