Esteban Ocon preps for a rigorous weekend at Monza, learning from last year’s engine troubles and recent setbacks at Zandvoort.
Esteban Ocon worked with Alpine F1 this week to understand the reasons behind his underperformance at Zandvoort. The French driver is pleased to move on to Monza, though he anticipates a challenging weekend there.
“Driving here is always special; it’s a new track, resurfaced, with new curbs and new challenges. It will probably be the first time we go this fast at Monza, so it’s exciting,” Ocon stated.
“We had three intense workdays with the team to analyze everything we could, identify any differences we could spot, and we’re coming here wanting to try things out. It will surely be a tough weekend, but the most important thing is to give it our all and do the maximum.”
When asked what makes Monza so special for drivers, Ocon, like many of his peers, noted the impressive audience: “The fans, especially the tifosi, who express their passion in a very vocal and special way.”
“I love being here; I’ve lived in Italy before, I speak Italian, and it’s special for me to come here. Formula 1 is in the air here, and it’s the temple of speed; we’re going to have a new perspective, and I’m eager to see what it will bring.”
Monza “will always be special” for Gasly
Pierre Gasly will be the team leader next year, and he looks forward to sharing his insights with his new director, Oliver Oakes, and Flavio Briatore, who has recently returned to the team. He confirms that discussions are planned with both.
“We talked at Zandvoort after the race, but there is still much for them to do, and I told them how I feel about the team. In the coming weeks, I’ll spend time at the factory; I know we’ll get into the details,” Gasly said.
“But right now, everyone is jumping on them and trying to provide as much information as possible. And it’s important that they have time to make their decisions and form their opinions. We’ve had some discussions, and there will be more.”
Winner in Italy in 2020, he is always happy to return to Monza: “Monza will always be a special place for me, for various reasons. The main one is obviously the victory, but I come here almost every week, I play on the golf course, and I’ve probably lost a few balls on the track!”
“It’s incredible, every time I come into the paddock, these emotions come back, and I hope they can help me this weekend. It’s an exciting circuit with a lot of straights, the racing can be intense so I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’s the most power-sensitive track, and it’s tough because we have a deficit. It was tough last year, but we responded well in Las Vegas. It’s going to be tough but it will be better than last season.”
Gasly and Ocon support the employees of Viry
The Social and Economic Council of Alpine at Viry plans a strike at the factory this weekend and a presence on the circuit to protest against the transformation plan of the factory and the discontinuation of the 2026 F1 engine: “The way I see things, I have absolutely no power or control over this situation.”
“It’s a matter that concerns the team and management. From that standpoint, I focus on my race and the best thing I can do for every team employee is to perform my best on the track. I give them the rewards for all the hard work that everyone, each employee, does.”
“That’s my role on the team, and that’s what I will focus on. I understand, I understand all the parties. It’s not as easy as just talking about it. There’s nothing I can do, and as I’ve said, at the end of the day, I hope everyone will come out with a good option.”
Esteban Ocon hopes that the Viry protests, even if peaceful, will be enough to open a dialogue: “From what I’ve heard, these are peaceful demonstrations. People want to talk, obviously, which is completely normal. And I hope there will be conversations between the parties.”
Alpine F1 Responds to Protests
The Alpine F1 team has responded to these protests by stating that no decisions have been made regarding the future of the team’s operations in France.
“We are aware of certain activities planned this weekend by the Viry staff. We understand from their communication that these will be peaceful protests and will not impact the team’s operations.”
“The transformation project is still under evaluation and no decisions have yet been made by Alpine’s management.”
“Dialogue, which began when the project was presented to Viry’s employee representatives in July, is important to Alpine’s management and will continue in the coming weeks.”
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