Turkish Grand Prix – Paying off bet for Esteban Ocon
While the points seemed unreachable at the start of the race, a bold strategic choice allowed Esteban Ocon to finish 10th.
While his teammate made it to Q3, Esteban Ocon put on a disappointing performance in qualifying, getting knocked out in 12th position on Saturday in Istanbul.
Overtaken from the start by Lewis Hamilton and later by Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon was in 11th position at the halfway point of the race.
At Portimao, the Frenchman had Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin in front of him. Despite a long battle, the Evreux native never found any overtaking opportunities and eventually passed the German thanks to a poor strategic choice by the latter.
Esteban Ocon was taking a risky gamble by deciding not to stop – as allowed by the regulations in case of using wet tires. In great difficulty at the end of the race, the Alpine driver was forced to concede the 9th position to his friend Lance Stroll.
A bold strategy that would not have worked with one more lap given Antonio Giovinazzi’s spectacular comeback in the race moments.
« We thought it was going to hold, and indeed it held. I think I was not far from getting a flat tire. We can be very happy to snatch this little point because it was clearly our goal. »
It is therefore a new arrival in the points for the Norman, the 10th for him this season.
