Alpine hopeful of fighting for Q3 at F1 season-opener

The team had a tricky first test in Barcelona, where it was held back by not running DRS and focusing on high fuel runs.

But after finally letting its drivers go for some lower fuel efforts in Bahrain last week, the team reckons that the A522 can at least battle towards the front end of the midfield.

With Fernando Alonso having set the third quickest time on the final day with some late laps in the cooler conditions, sporting director Alan Permane say there was some positive…