Esteban Ocon takes stock of his season

For his first season with the team Alpine, Esteban Ocon went through all the emotions. The Frenchman tasted the joy of a Grand Prix victory in Hungary, before missing out on a podium in Saudi Arabia by a few tenths. During a press point organized after the round in Abu Dhabi, it was time to take stock for the Norman, who finished in 11th place in the championship. 

“It’s a season that I will remember for the rest of my life. My first victory in F1, it will remain engraved. It's great what we managed to accomplish and this first success does a lot of good. I think we had a solid season, we went through all the emotions, there was obviously joy with this victory in Hungary, frustration with Saudi Arabia, we had difficult moments where the we were looking for the performance we were missing. We managed to overcome all these complicated moments, put them aside and come back strong.” 

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A successful collaboration with Fernando Alonso

Associated to Daniel Ricciardo in Renault Last season, Esteban Ocon saw the arrival of a new double world champion teammate at the start of the year. A weight reinforcement for Alpine in the fight for the Constructors' championship, but also for the Frenchman who was able to learn a lot thanks to the experience of Fernando Alonso. The Norman is full of praise for the Asturian Bull, which he does not hesitate to describe as " legend ". 

“We had a very good year. We had a great collaboration, we totally agree on the set-up of the car. We have single-seaters that are very close in terms of set-up. We really want to fight for podiums and victories in the hopefully very near future. All of this brings a very positive dynamic to the health of the team. For me it's a privilege to work with a legend like him ».

A satisfactory balance sheet

Buoyed by his victory in Hungary, Esteban Ocon ended the year with 62 points scored and an 11th place, his second best result in his career after 2017 (he drove under the colors of Force India). For the first season ofAlpine in F1, the balance sheet is very satisfactory.

“We must remember the opportunities we seized but also the difficulties we experienced. I will remember the rounds in France, Austria or even Baku… races where we were not performing well, it took us time to resolve the problems. When we found solutions to problems we came back stronger. We came back in Q3, we won a race, we had a top 5 in Barcelona in qualifying, a top 6 in Portimao… we score points 14 or 15 times this season. Saudi Arabia is a missed podium so a big frustration but it remains a race perfectly controlled by the team.”

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His struggle with Verstappen et Hamilton in Saudi Arabia

Another highlight in the Frenchman's season was the fight between him and the two contenders for the world title. During the second standing start in Saudi Arabia, Esteban Ocon found himself in pole position, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. He will be overtaken at the first corner by the Dutchman who passed on the inside of the corner. 

" It was hot ! I didn't put any extra pressure on myself, I knew I shouldn't fight either Max or Lewis. I didn't have enough speed to put them behind so that I started on pole was more of a bonus than anything else. I thought they were going to be aggressive with each other but not with me! (Laughs) And because of bad timing or bad judgment, I get hit in the first corner. It was nice to be in battle with them. Afterwards, I'm frustrated to have lost half of my flat bottom in the last two laps and that's what deprives me of this podium ». 

Its prospects for 2022

Eleventh in the drivers' standings and fifth with Alpine in the Constructors' Championship, Esteban Ocon has reason to be optimistic for the coming season. With the new regulations and the introduction of new 18-inch tires from the Pirelli brand, the Frenchman hopes to have a car even more competitive. 

“This season, we have really achieved superb feats with the team. All we lacked this year was speed and a little consistency. If we manage to have all that next season, it will be promising ».