Permane: “Alonso is a key part of the team; it’s a machine”

The British Alan Permainehead of engineering Alpinethe Spanish team Fernando Alonsodeclared this Saturday at Hungaroring, headquarters of Hungarian Grand Prix -the thirteenth in the Formula One World Championship-, who is the double Asturian world champion “He’s a staple of the team,” he’s “a machine, inside and outside the car,” and “he’s still getting better.”

Alonso, who celebrated his 41st birthday on Friday at the circuit where he achieved the first of his 32 F1 victories, answered Efe on Thursday about his possible renewal with the French team that is “on vacation” ( that is, starting next Monday) will sit down and then he will decide “something”, before announcing, in a press conference that took place at the circuit outside Budapest, that he wants to stay with the team and that “if the two parties”, the extension of his the contract will be closed “within ten minutes”.

“Alonso is very important to us. He works well with engineers; He works well with Esteban (Ocon, his French partner) and works well with everyone. He is an important part of the team”, explained Permane, at the official press conference of the FIA ​​(International Automobile Federation) that took place this Saturday at the Hungaroring.

“Fernando keeps taking steps forward every weekend. He never stops learning and developing new things”comments the chief engineer of Alpine, the team with which Alonso returned to F1 after being absent from it for two years: periods in which the Asturian star won, among others, the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and (in two times and also with Toyota) the 24 Hours of Le Mans (France).

“He’s a machine, in and out of the car. And he’s still getting better.”he commented, regarding the Asturian double world champion, Permane, who admitted that the rain expected to fall again on the Hungarian track during qualifying -which starts at four in the afternoon (14:00 GMT)- they could “come easy- use.”