Ocon ready for his mission with Alpine : “A great season awaits us”

At the wheel of a car in the colors of his country, Esteban Ocon will undoubtedly be galvanized when setting off on the track of Sakhir (Bahrain) at the end of March for the kick-off of the 2021 season of Formula 1.

The Frenchman is clearly pumped up, as shown by his declarations on the sidelines of the presentation of new mount, theAlpine A521. " I am impatient. It's great to see all the changes within the team and it's always exciting to wear new colors. I have to say that I love the new colors and I am proud to have the French flag on my car. It's awesome and exciting. I believe that a great season awaits us. »

Proudly representing the colors of the French and British flags, as well as Alpine’s illustrious and historic racing colors of blue, white and red… Here is our 2021 F1 car, the A521!# A521Launch pic.twitter.com/AwDI1RNtaE

— Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) March 2, 2021

Author of his first podium in the discipline... in Bahrain in November 2019, the 24-year-old from Normandy considers himself “much better prepared”, after a recovery season with Renault F1 Team. “This podium did me a lot of good. It was of course one of my goals and dreams. I really wanted to get on it, so it was fantastic to get there last year.

Now that we've checked that box, it's obvious we want even more. We know it will be a very tight season as our competitors are working hard. It promises to be intense, but we are aiming for more good results this year”, he says.

Another important point, the return of the double world champion Fernando Alonso in the other side of the garage. The Spaniard enjoys a good reputation in the eyes of his new teammate. “It’s a privilege to be associated with him. I'm really looking forward to it, as I am convinced that we will have an excellent collaboration. We already started working together towards the end of the year and will continue in the coming days and weeks. Everything is positive and I can't wait to hear what he thinks of the car. »

Beautiful Our final delivery is out, can't wait to drive the A521 tomorrow at @SilverstoneUK @AlpineF1Team pic.twitter.com/5JsGjTpoXK

- Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) March 2, 2021

The European champion of Formula 3 and GP3 Series, although he has not yet driven the A521, is optimistic about its performance. “Most of the key elements of the car are the same as last year. It is a continuation of last year with an identical chassis as required by the regulations. Externally there are aerodynamic changes and our teams have been working hard on them throughout the winter.

We will take the wheel of this new version in Bahrain before continuing its development. We approach the year knowing the car better than ever due to regulations and the nature of the season. We tried some elements for 2021 in 2020, so I believe we have a solid foundation. This will also help me get good entry sensations. »

Finally, Esteban Ocon is looking ahead to this 2021 season, and believes that he will have to take care of his physical condition during the campaign. “It will be important, not only for the drivers, but for the entire team, to know how to rest when necessary. The calendar spans twenty-three weeks of the year, so we will all need to take care of ourselves and manage our energy. The last five races will be difficult as it is at this moment that we run out of steam. We will necessarily make great efforts, but we will have to look after each person within the team. »