When the teams were packing up in Hungary on Sunday evening, the Alpine squad had cause to be heading into the summer holidays in an upbeat mood. Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon had just achieved a double points finish to maintain the team's slender lead over McLaren in the constructors championship. Contract extension negotiations were still ticking over with Alonso, and if they fell through then no problem, they had the hottest rising star in years - reserve driver Oscar Piastri - ready and able to step in. Team bosses Laurent Rossi and Otmar Szafnauer would be justified in looking forward to a relaxing few weeks off, feet up by the pool and cocktails in hand. And then in 48 hours, that...
Full Story »