F1
Still behind Gasly, Ocon points out a problem with his Alpine : "Since Austin, we have lost five tenths in the pace of the car"
© Joao Filipe / DPPI
THEAlpine A524 with the number 31 has been having a problem for several Grands Prix? This is what is claimed in any case Esteban Ocon at the end of qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Norman was eliminated at the gates of Q3, in 11th place when at the same time, his teammate Pierre Gasly took a surprising 3rd place, the best ranking in a Alpine this season in the exercise of the launched tour.
According to Esteban Ocon, his car would suffer from a problem that has persisted since the start of the American tour. Since Austin, Esteban Ocon has always been beaten by Pierre Gasly in qualifying – with the exception of São Paulo, where qualifying took place in the rain – with gaps exceeding three tenths in the same sessions. The recent 2nd in the Brazilian Grand Prix points to a lack of pace that he estimates at more than five tenths, without knowing where this recurring problem comes from.
Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 11th in qualifying in Las Vegas : “It’s been a tough weekend. Since Austin, it seems like we’ve lost five tenths – or more – in the pace of the car. There’s a clear lack of grip with my car, and we can’t quite find the cause to rectify it. I was very happy with my lap, if you look at where we should have been, it was a good lap like I’ve done in Q3 in the past. Unfortunately, that’s where we are at the moment.”
“We have to keep looking, that’s what the team is doing at the moment. Hopefully tomorrow’s race will be about tyre degradation rather than race pace, because in terms of pace I don’t think we can score points. However, if you look back at last year, tyre wear was a problem for everyone and I hope it will be the case again tomorrow.
"In São Paulo, there was a good 5-6 tenths gap [with Gasly], it was the same in Mexico. It's been quite significant for a while. We're continuing to look with the team and I hope we'll manage to find [the problem] before the end of the season. But for the moment, it's a bit frustrating."
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Dorian Grangier
A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.
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DANIEL MEYERS
23/11/2024 at 05:13 a.m.
@David - Yves-Henri RANDIER: Above all, don't waste time going around in circles, so apply right away at Alpine with Flavio to replace him!!!!
Yves-Henri RANDIER
23/11/2024 at 05:39 a.m.
No desire or skills to replace an admittedly flamboyant cheater!
Yves-Henri RANDIER
23/11/2024 at 02:08 a.m.
One might wonder about the difference in equipment between a remaining driver and a departing driver, but it is possible that the difference is due to the piloting, isn't it!
David
23/11/2024 at 11:33 a.m.
The problem is him. A lucky driver who succeeded when he is only an average but lucky driver. A crybaby who is always there blaming others when he is really bad only he had luck in his life