Makowiecki proud ofAlpine at Spa: “It would have been close to victory”

During the last hours of the Belgian event, theAlpine No. 36 may have come within a few details of an even better result on Saturday, May 10. After the podium already achieved at Imola, which gave the French team a great reason for hope, this second consecutive top 3 calls for many optimistic analyses.

For Frédéric Makowiecki, driver at the start of the race aboard the Hypercar ofAlpine, the positive outweighs the disappointment. “We are a little disappointed but also really proud, confessed the FrenchmanThis is the second race in a row where we've clearly shown progress. We're understanding the car better and better, and we're starting to get the most out of it. There's a big challenge ahead of us, but we have to keep going in this direction. I'm proud of what we're doing, and that's important in motorsport."

A duel Alpine – Ferrari remotely

Even though Ferrari No. 50 and 51 achieved a new double, Alpine now appears as the team capable of putting pressure on the favorite in the event of an error. "On the one hand, without the puncture, we might have finished P2, but for the victory it would have been close, he added. In the end, we finished on the podium again, it's the second time in a row, so it shows that we're going in the right direction. When we started to push a little more, Ferrari also showed some power. I'd say it would have been very close. We were very close to the #51. In terms of consistency, I think we were better, but in terms of pure pace, they were very strong.

Founding moments in Spa

After a particularly fast-paced stint, Frédéric Makowiecki wasn't the only driver to make significant overtaking moves. After the race, however, he reflected on the highlights of his early days. “From the start, I was surprised that everyone was pushing so hard, because we knew the limit would be tire degradation and consistency. That's why I took two or three laps to be careful, and it paid off, he rejoiced. I was able to attack lap after lap. The car was super fun to drive."

The highlight of this edition of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps was the duel between Ferrari and Alpine at the entrance to Raidillon naturally caught the attention of spectators and observers. "For two or three laps, I could see that they weren't deploying all their power at the exit of La Source to climb towards the Raidillon. I told myself that if I had a chance, it would be there - not at the top of Kemmel, but before, Makowiecki detailed. So I stayed close, I didn't take my foot off the gas in the two front corners to really stick to him. And it worked as planned. It's not always the case, but this time, yes."

ALSO READ > Ferrari scores a double at the 6 Hours of Spa, Alpine on the podium