Listen to this article Both Alpines were fitted with a sidepod upgrade for the F1 season opener, but Ocon lost his early on in first practice when the right-hand side bodywork flew off on the main straight, bringing out a red flag. While the team did not have an immediate answer to what caused the failure, it suspects that the issue was a one-off. Following precautionary checks in the garage, it gave the all-clear for the new design to remain on Alonso’s car and he ran without trouble for the rest of the session. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said that the team would continue to search for a proper answer as to what happened, as he said there were no concerns of a repeat problem affecting Alonso. “I think it was a one-off,” he said. “We’re still trying to figure out the root cause and I don’t know if the sidepod was a bit damaged, …

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