Listen to this article In the first event of the season in Bahrain, Alonso finished ninth, two places behind teammate Esteban Ocon, after a less-than-optimum race that was compromised by engine issues and his tyre strategy. Last weekend in Saudi Arabia the two Alpines battled for sixth place in the early stages, and while Ocon ultimately just beat McLaren’s Lando Norris to the position, Alonso retired with an as-yet-unidentified drive issue. In contrast to Bahrain, Alpine outpaced Alfa Romeo and Haas in Jeddah, and Ocon was not far shy of the Mercedes of George Russell at the flag having beaten the Englishman in qualifying. “I think I had two great races,” said Alonso when asked by Motorsport.com about the frustrating end to his impressive showing in Jeddah. “One in Bahrain, but unfortunately with the wrong strategy maybe with the starting tyre, starting on a scrubbed and then that compromised my whole race, and with an engine also that was not great in Bahrain. “And now here I think I was very fast in qualifying, very unlucky, because some othe …