Esteban Ocon: « We must make sure to get back in the points »

This weekend, as in several Grand Prix races, Alpine encountered major difficulties at Monza. The two French drivers finished in fourteenth and fifteenth place this weekend, in stark contrast to Pierre Gasly’s ninth place finish at Zandvoort. Despite their efforts, neither of the two drivers managed to score any points, a result of new technical issues.

Alpine scored no points in Italy.

Pierre Gasly encountered difficulties on the track. With brake issues and contact with Kevin Magnussen, the driver was only able to reach fifteenth place. His teammate, Esteban Ocon, didn’t do any better as he could only climb up one place ahead of him. The second French driver followed the same strategy as Ferrari. He chose to make only one pit stop starting with hard tires, but the tire degradation was too significant. Eventually, he was quickly overtaken by several cars before returning to the pits.

The two drivers opted for different strategies. The French cars did not achieve the expected success and despite differing approaches, neither Pierre Gasly nor Esteban Ocon managed to position themselves in the Top 10. As a result, the project did not provide any additional information to the team. “We tried everything this weekend to cover all possible scenarios. Unfortunately, it was not enough to score points,” said Esteban Ocon in the post-race press conference. “I struggled with the tires towards the end of the first stint, so maybe a Medium-Hard strategy would have been better in hindsight.”

Esteban Ocon’s last points date back to Spa-Francorchamps at the end of July, where he clinched ninth place on the grid. However, he has only scored 5 points since the beginning of the season, finishing tenth in the Grand Prix on three occasions. Although the team has managed to score 13 points, they have still encountered several technical issues. Already two months ago, the drivers were complaining about the car. With new technical problems arising this weekend, the Frenchman remains hopeful.

Alpine must regain the top of the standings

Despite disappointing results, Esteban Ocon highlighted the few positive points for the car at Monza. However, he emphasized the need for Alpine to solve the problems affecting them. Looking ahead to the next race in Baku, Alpine must remain determined and bounce back to deliver better performances. On the positive side, there have been strong improvements in performance between Friday and Saturday, which we must now better understand to stay ahead of the issues faced in Zandvoort,” he said.

If hope remains for the French driver, the team should not fall too far behind. Esteban Ocon warns: “We are returning to Baku in two weeks, where we must make sure to get back into the points.” Just a reminder, the driver will bid farewell to the team at the end of the season to join Haas in 2025. This year, the American team has managed to secure the seventh place in the constructors’ championship, which they still hold. With a 15-point gap between Haas and Alpine, if the French team wants to steal their position, they will have to significantly improve in the upcoming Grand Prix.