Alpine boss wants the 'T-car' to return to F1

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes there should be the availability of a third car for the teams when a chassis gets damaged. The Romanian-American executive believes that it was easier when the T-car existed and extra personnel were available.

The T-car, also called the training car, test car, or the third car, was the spare car that was taken to every race, fully built up to mirror the selected driver's set-up like a clone.

Speaking about the T-car in reference to Esteban Ocon’s crash during Free Practice for the Miami GP, Szafnauer spoke to the Motorsport Network saying:

“We should look again at the presence of a third car. We used to have a T-car. I don’t think we should go back to that T-car completely because then you would need extra people. If the car is built with the same parts that you already have it on the track, you are more likely to have it ready for qualifying.”

With Ocon’s chassis majorly damaged in the crash, the Alpine principal felt that a T-car would have helped in such scenarios. Szafnauer, however, also believes the concept needs to be practical as it would require extra personnel to build a third car. The Frenchman was unable to take part in qualifying since his car was not repaired in time for the session.

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Alpine team chief felt there should have been an extra Tecpro barrier in Miami

Multiple drivers have voiced their opinions on the need for an extra Tecpro barrier at the turn where Esteban Ocon crashed during Free Practice in Miami. Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer agreed with them, claiming that there was a need for an extra barrier to ensure the safety of the drivers more than the cars.

Commenting on the aforementioned crash, Szafnauer said:

“In my personal opinion it would have been safer if there had been a Tecpro. It’s not the job of the FIA to protect the cars, but the protection of drivers and cars is intertwined. If the car is damaged, the driver can also be injured.”

While Ocon finished eighth, Fernando Alonso finished outside the points in Miami after receiving two five-second time penalties despite finishing ninth. The Enstone-based team is currently sixth in the constructors’ championship.