F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Alonso a man of 'few words' says Alpine race engineer

Alpine race engineer Karel Loos has worked over the years with numerous drivers at the Enstone squad, and says Fernando Alonso is much less effusive over the radio than his predecessors, and especially Daniel Ricciardo.

Alonso replaced the Aussie at Alpine following the latter's move to McLaren, and the Spaniard thus inherited Ricciardo's race engineer.

Alonso and Loos now form a well-acquainted tandem, and the Belgian engineer, who also worked with Jolyon Palmer, Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz, says the Spaniard, for all his candor off the track, is a man of few words on the team's radio compared to his predecessor.

"Fernando uses far fewer words than Daniel," Loos told Dutch website Formule1.nl. "But you get to know each other better and better and understand what someone wants."

Loos insists Alonso will speak his mind during debriefs but will also defer to an engineer's expert opinion and won't force a specific point of view.

"He is very focused on the details," he added. "Fernando gives his opinion but does not impose it. If he finds something, but someone in engineering says ‘it’s different, and that’s why’, he accepts it and fully supports it."

Loos also highlighted Alonso's vast experience which is a big positive for Alpine.

"Fernando is very good at reading a race. That helps enormously."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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