"I know what they're up to" - Alpine confident of surpassing Aston Martin while Fernando Alonso is there

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer is confident that his side can beat Fernando Alonso when the Spaniard moves to Aston Martin next season.

Alonso retired from F1 at the end of the 2018 season before making a comeback in 2021 with Alpine on a two-year deal. With his current deal expiring and no agreement on an extension, the two-time world champion shocked the F1 world by announcing that he was joining Aston Martin on a multi-year deal from 2023.

The announcement blindsided Szafnauer and Co., who have since then been embroiled in further complications regarding the fate of reigning F2 world champion Oscar Piastri.

The team from Enstone still does not have their driver line-up for 2023 set in stone, with only Esteban Ocon confirmed thus far. Szafnauer, however, believes he knows what Aston Martin is up to, having been with the team for over a decade through its different iterations before joining Alpine in 2022.

In an interview carried by Motorsport's German affiliate, Szafnauer said:

"I know both teams very well and probably know them [Aston Martin] better than any of the staff here because I was with the other team for twelve years. From there, I know what they're up to. But currently, this team here is performing at a much higher level. Of course, it's hard to predict the future, but in the near future, I'm sure the team will continue to perform at this level, if not better."

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Alpine have set themselves a goal of winning 100 races after hiring 75 new team members

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has confirmed that the team is planning to win 100 races after making as many as 75 strategic hires.

Speaking in the aforementioned interview with Motorsport, the 57-year-old said:

"And along with the 75 people, there are tools that we're improving now, some simulation tools, a new simulator, expanded capacity in manufacturing, some upgrades to our wind tunnel. All with the goal of winning in 100 races."

Szafnauer went on to add:

"So these things are still happening here. And they're happening fast. We already have 850 employees here. So I'm confident that we can outperform the team Fernando is going to in the time he's going to be there."

Before Team Enstone can go ahead and make plans to get the better of Fernando Alonso, they will need to find a new driver to partner Esteban Ocon.

Plenty of options are available but it remains to be seen what happens to Oscar Piastri, who may have triggered a legal tussle with the team before even racing for them.