F1
For pilots Alpine, “points were possible” in Melbourne
© DPPI
What judgment should we make on the performance ofAlpine during the Australian Grand Prix? Difficult to say as we saw little of the French single-seaters during the race. For the third time in a row, Pierre Gasly (13e) and Esteban Ocon (16th) finished out of the points in Melbourne, despite the retirements of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell among the top teams.
However, at the start of the race, the two French drivers were battling with cars having finished in the points, with the Haas notably. Esteban Ocon, who started in 15th position after playing his first Q2 of the season on Saturday, could have been in a position to score points... but bad luck does not leave the A arrow at the start of the season. The Norman had to rush his second stop in order to remove a plastic protection from his brake duct, at the right rear.
“We had a tear-off that got lodged in the brake, so my brake was catching fire. That's why we had to stop.", explained Esteban Ocon to Canal+, after the race. The Frenchman was visibly bitter at having missed a first points opportunity this season. "JHe thinks the points were possible today. That's what's super frustrating, because before the stop I was in front Magnussen, I was fighting with Albon. It would have been a battle for that ninth, tenth or eleventh place. I'm disappointed, that's for sure, because we really had an opportunity. It's like that, it's bad luck, we'll go back for the next one. »
“Complicated to look for much more” for Alpine
Pierre Gasly, for his part, was unable to get back into the peloton despite a satisfactory pace on the medium tires. The Frenchman was stuck behind the Haas for a long time, before finally collapsing at the end of the race. “ We are improving, but we are still far from what we need to get points, he confided to the microphone of Canal+. We know what to focus on, we knew we had to do the best possible with what we have. That's what we did today, it was complicated to go for much more. There are lots of little things to improve. » The pilot Alpine was also penalized five seconds for cutting the line when exiting the pits, a penalty “anecdotal” according to the latter.
ALSO READ > Verstappen neither disappointed nor frustrated by his retirement in Australia: “In a way, it excites me! »
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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Eric Stevens
24/03/2024 at 04:30 a.m.
but yes esteban, you could even win the race! typically French behavior of being self-satisfied and believing yourself to be better than you are! the engine is lousy, the chassis is lousy, the management is more than average, the very concept of the team between France and England is heresy and the determination of the Renault group to make a fool of itself in the eyes of the world for 10 years borders on pathetic! It's going to be very complicated to attract competent people, both as pilots and especially as engineers, designers and others, it's clear that it's already not the best who have created the sets since 2014! we must stop the costs and sell while it’s worth something!
Yves-Henri RANDIER
24/03/2024 at 01:52 a.m.
In 15 days the justice of the peace of Suzuka and we will see if Alpine managed to straighten out - a little! - bar