Our wait to see Fernando Alonso in the 2021 Alpine F1 car is almost over. He is gearing to take over from Esteban Ocon in the later session in Bahrain. However, he can thank his lucky stars for even making it to the testing event.

Alonso broke his jaw in a cycling accident in Switzerland on February 11, 2021. He had a procedure done on his jaw and teeth. So, are there any lingering effects of the accident on him, physically?

“Generally, I’m fine and I’m very happy that I can be here. After the procedure, I had to take it easy for a little more than a week, but then I was able to return to normal training,” said Alonso.

Another positive for him is that he is not expecting it to impede him in the upcoming season. However, after it’s all done and dusted, he will have to go under the knife once again –

“I have two titanium plates in my jaw now, they won’t be removed until after the season. I am not bothered by it.”

The biggest challenge for Fernando Alonso in 2021

All the teams arrive in Bahrain with increased expectations. With over 50% of chassis being frozen by the FIA, everyone expects to close the gap on the leaders, Mercedes. The midfield battle, in particular, is tight, with the likes of McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, and even Ferrari vying for the third spot in the constructor’s standings.

“On the one hand, we have to make every race weekend perfect in order to assert ourselves in the midfield. Then it will be important to divide the energy correctly,” said Alonso.

“We have a season of 23 races ahead of us, and in the fall people will be tired. But that doesn’t worry me. I haven’t sat idle at home in the past two years, I’ve always been involved in racing.”

As Alonso said, the 2021 F1 season will consist of a record-breaking 23-race calendar. Not only that, but the teams will also face the simultaneous challenge of working on their 2022 cars. So, let’s see how far the likes of Ocon and Alonso can go with Alpine.

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