Esteban Ocon, disappointed after his retirement in Singapore
Dropped by his gearbox just a few laps before the finish, Esteban Ocon did not hide his disappointment on the sidelines of the race.
More fit than Red Bull and Aston Martin, the Alpines were in the mix this Sunday in Singapore. Sixth with less than twenty laps to go, Esteban Ocon was on the verge of achieving his second-best performance after his podium finish in Monaco. But that was before a gearbox failure forced him to stop his car at the side of the track.
« It hurts… »
An abandonment came to spoil the party for the person who was celebrating their 27th birthday this Sunday. « Unfortunately, it’s not the best birthday I’ve had. We were going to score a lot of points for the team today. It’s unfortunate, but it’s something that happens in motorsport », the Alpine driver prefers to put things into perspective, speaking to Canal+.
« We will come back stronger in the next race. We have a car that works very well. Especially during the race, we had a good speed compared to Aston Martin and even Red Bull, who had more worn tires. It’s a shame about the hiccup at the end, it cost us. It hurts, but it’s not the end of our season. »
Six abandons en 2023
Six abandonments in 2023
Let’s recall that the native of Rouen suffered his sixth retirement of the season in Singapore, the second consecutive one, as a problem with his steering wheel led to his retirement, which went unnoticed, in Monza. This makes him the driver with the most retirements this season.
Are the reliability issues, which are too frequent, becoming a concern? Response from the French driver: « No comment ». Despite everything, Esteban Ocon prefers to remain hopeful and is already focusing on the next Grand Prix, which takes place next weekend in Suzuka, Japan.
« We have the opportunity to bounce back starting next week on my favorite circuit of the season, and we will continue to work as a team to ensure that we leave Suzuka with a good result. »
