Alpine F1’s director Oliver Oakes celebrates the team’s double podium in Brazil, marking significant progress and boosting team confidence.
Oliver Oakes, Alpine F1’s director, praised his team’s performances in Brazil and acknowledged the strides recently made. The A524 was somewhat more effective in dry conditions under Pierre Gasly, who qualified in Q3, while Esteban Ocon displayed impressive speed in the wet before the pair secured a double podium.
“I can’t take credit for it,” Oakes admitted. “As we know, it’s a brilliant team, and I haven’t been here long. I said from the start that the team had been facing a challenging period for some time.”
“They had a tough start to the season, even before I arrived, and I think today’s result is a great outcome for them. In fact, the signs were already there just before and after the summer break, showing a bit of momentum. At Zandvoort, my first race, they made me look good by scoring a point.”
“Then we had two tough races that highlighted the limits of the team, the car, and our performance. In Austin, with an upgrade, we showed we had some pace, but it was a tough pill to swallow as we left empty-handed after a strong qualifying session.”
“With these last two races, it’s really satisfying to demonstrate we have pace. We were all a bit stung after Baku when a rival took a few points, and credit to them for the work they’re doing, but it’s good today to secure a solid result of our own.”
The Briton even admitted he allowed himself a moment to dream of victory before Max Verstappen overtook Ocon to seize the lead, also acknowledging the overall performance of the world champion.
“I was a bit disappointed when Max got ahead, I won’t lie! People might say you need to face reality, but obviously, you do this job because you want to win. No one shows up not wanting to win. No one enjoys languishing at the back of the grid.”
“In recent weekends, we’ve made progress. But I think there were moments during the race when I thought, ‘OK, we can do this,’ though it must be said that Max is phenomenal. In these conditions, he’s on another level. No one can take that away from him. It was a champion’s race.”
“For my part, I’m very proud of Pierre and Esteban. They didn’t make a single mistake. They both absorbed a lot of pressure and had genuine pace. Max was the only one who got ahead of us, so it’s a good day.”
He confirmed that Alpine’s recent performances have boosted his confidence: “I think qualifying in Austin went well, though we struggled a bit in the race. I’d say Mexico was a solid weekend, with points.”
“Here, in the Sprint race on a dry track with Pierre, we showed good pace. In qualifying, we were very close behind a Mercedes and leading the midfield battle, so we’re feeling confident. It’s challenging, and you can see from one weekend to the next how performance and team standings can fluctuate.”
“I think we need to stay humble and take each race as it comes. I’m confident. Since my arrival, everyone has been highly motivated, and this team receives its fair share of criticism, with people twisting the knife on a podcast and so forth, but they’re pushing very hard. You can see it at Enstone, at Viry, and here on the track—they deserve it.”
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Oakes Lauds Alpine’s Progress with Double Podium in Brazil Oakes Lauds Alpine’s Progress with Double Podium in Brazil
