Esteban Ocon wants to focus on the positive aspects of the United States Grand Prix
Spun around in the first corner, Esteban Ocon spent the United States Grand Prix in anonymity, evolving at the back of the pack. The French driver, who prefers to focus on the positive progress seen by Alpine in Texas, managed to deny Williams and Colapinto the point for the fastest lap.
Esteban Ocon's departure was fatal at the Circuit of the Americas this Sunday. Starting 12th on the grid, the Frenchman hoped to be able to fight for points on the Texan track. His hopes quickly vanished, falling victim to a racing incident in the melee of the first corner.
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Caught in the stream of single-seaters trying to take advantage of the start, the Frenchman saw Alex Albon, stuck in the pack, hit the rear left of his car. Although he suffered no material damage, Ocon found himself facing the wrong way on the track. Dead last, he never managed to get close to the Top 10.
Unfortunately, it cost us the race. I found myself going the wrong way right from the start, so it really wasn't ideal. I'm not sure what happened, I have to review the footage," the Frenchman reacted after the race on Canal+.
The fastest lap in the consolation batch
Esteban Ocon was able to catch up with the pack thanks to the quick intervention of the safety car. However, the performance limits of the Alpine did not allow him to make a significant comeback. "It was a complicated race. We didn't really have the speed to move up [into the points], we moved up a little bit, two or three places," he added. 15th with a few laps to go, the Frenchman returned to the pits to put on soft tires (52nd lap).
The aim was to achieve the best race time, held at that time by Franco Colapinto. The Williams driver, tenth on the track, was about to offer two additional points to his team. In the fight with the British team in the constructors' championship, Alpine and Ocon managed to deprive him of this advantage by signing a time of 1:33.330. « In the end, the aim was to take back the best race lap from Franco [Colapinto], otherwise he would score two points. We managed to do it, it's the only positive point of the race. »
The hope of ending on a good note.
Esteban Ocon has five races left to contest under the Alpine colors. Before joining Haas in 2025, the Norman driver hopes to conclude his adventure with the French team on a positive note. After a challenging season for the Enstone team, they can hope for a turnaround by the end of the year. The improvements made to Gasly's car and the strong qualifying performances (Gasly in 7th, Ocon in 13th) offer a glimmer of hope.
Ocon could also benefit from the improvements reserved for his teammate in Austin. « I think they clearly worked, especially in qualifying yesterday, so there is something positive to take from it this weekend. It's up to us to make the most of it until the end of the season [...] Now, we'll see next week where we stand and if I can also benefit from the improvements », he concluded.
Also read: Un arrêt manqué coûteux pour Pierre Gasly à Austin
