{"id":16598,"date":"2022-10-15T06:47:21","date_gmt":"2022-10-15T05:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/formula1news.co.uk\/?p=16598"},"modified":"2022-10-15T06:47:25","modified_gmt":"2022-10-15T05:47:25","slug":"alpine-claim-theyve-rattled-lando-norris-as-they-respond-to-mercedes-comment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formula1news.co.uk\/alpine-claim-theyve-rattled-lando-norris-as-they-respond-to-mercedes-comment\/","title":{"rendered":"Alpine claim they’ve ‘rattled’ Lando Norris as they respond to Mercedes comment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After reclaiming fourth in the Constructors’ Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren’s time in the ‘best of the rest’ spot was very short-lived, as a strong haul of points in Japan for Alpine saw the French side reclaim the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singapore was disastrous for Alpine, with both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon having suffered an engine failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was made even worse for the Enstone-based side by McLaren claiming their first double top five of the season, as Lando Norris finished fourth with Daniel Ricciardo in fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It saw the Woking-based team complete an incredible overhaul, given that they were almost 20 points behind ahead of Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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READ: Helmut Marko delivers bad news to Yuki Tsunoda as he comments on Nyck de Vries<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alpine made sure, though, that McLaren’s time in fourth didn’t last long, as Ocon finished fourth and Alonso finished seventh at Suzuka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French side take a 13-point lead into the United States Grand Prix as a result, meaning it’s McLaren who once again have all the work to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norris has continually said that his side aren’t good enough to battle Alpine and he was at it again after Suzuka, where he revealed it was “not a surprise” to drop back to fifth in the standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot good news, but not a surprise,\u201d he said, discussing Alpine\u00a0reclaiming fourth place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike I\u2019ve said so many times, they\u2019re so much quicker than us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have no clue how we\u2019re still fighting them in the championship. Like they are another league to us at the minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy we\u2019ve been able to fight them so far into the season, it shows we\u2019ve done a very good job in all other areas, with reliability, with maximising our performances, taking opportunities, not making mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey must\u2019ve done a lot worse than us on all of those areas to only just be ahead of us in the championship with the car that they have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo\u2026 not a surprise I think. It\u2019s not really a big fight at the minute, because they\u2019re so much quicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut we\u2019ll keep trying. Yeah. Keep trying to limit the points loss we have at the minute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alpine sporting director Alan Permane seems to think his side have the McLaren driver “rattled”, with Norris having some sort of thing about Alpine being considerably faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be an attempt at mind games; however, Permane doesn’t seem to care, with the French side targeting Mercedes, rather than McLaren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLando keeps saying that doesn\u2019t he? We only just need to be ahead,\u201d said Permane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure why he keeps on. I guess we\u2019ve got him rattled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sergio Perez deletes tweet taunting #FIA<\/a> over #Cashgate<\/a> Scandal https:\/\/t.co\/23m0zqobrA<\/a><\/p>— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) October 13, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>