Bruno Famen: There are two ways to earn points in Qatar

Alpine interim manager Bruno Famen assessed the team’s performance during the final stage in Japan and outlined targets for the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix.

Question: How do you assess the team’s performance at the Japanese Grand Prix?
Bruno Famen: In Japan, both riders earned points, which meant we finished in the top ten in both double Asian rounds. After a difficult qualifying, which caused the team to stop fighting in the second session, we fought and earned points.

Esteban had to fight in the first meters of the race, but this is a common situation when you start in the middle of the peloton. Even though the team has earned points, we need to perform better and reach the final with two cars to avoid such incidents at the start.

Question: What do you think of driver interaction in the interest of the team during the race?
Bruno Famen: Our priority is to earn as many points as possible every weekend. We saw such an opportunity for Pierre: he was on newer tires and could compete for eighth place. We had to try it. Our radio communications were not quite optimal, and we will improve that in the future – there is no doubt about that. It is clear that both drivers are focused on success and maximizing the team’s results, and I am happy with that.

Q: What is the goal of the team in Qatar?
Bruno Famen: We have to keep earning as many points as possible. Thanks to Saturday’s sprint, there are two points opportunities in Qatar this weekend.

The past stages have shown that we need to improve on the fast lap. You have to start strong on Friday to find the optimal settings for the two cars. Practical drivers need to feel comfortable behind the wheel ahead of the important evening qualifying session.