Esteban Ocon discusses his impending Alpine F1 exit and potential moves, amidst rising speculations and personal goals for excellence in the sport.
Ocon has revealed that discussions about his future have already begun as his contract with Alpine F1 is set to expire at the end of the season. Rumors have linked the French driver to seats at Mercedes F1 or Sauber, in anticipation of Audi’s arrival, yet he remains reticent about his personal ambitions, despite his desire to excel.
“Every year is important in Formula 1, that’s true,” Ocon stated on the High Performance podcast. “You’re only as good as your last race, as the saying goes in Formula 1. But yes, this is an important year in my career, for sure, and I want to do as well as possible.”
“I don’t want to have any regrets at the end of the year. There’s going to be a lot of work, on track and off, there will obviously be discussions because I’m in my last year of contract. Of course, things have already started, like everyone else.”
“I’m not a big fan of these discussions, but I’m in a different situation from 2019. I know a lot more about this sport, I’ve raced a lot more, I’m a race winner, I’ve been on podiums.
“I have more arguments in my favor, but the most important thing is the work we do on the track, I believe the political side is secondary, and I hope it stays that way.”
“It’s obviously a frustrating period”
His personal goal is to do the best he can, despite all the challenges his car presents: “The most important thing for me is to get the most out of the car and do the best job possible.”
“I want to get out of the car after the weekend and say to myself, ‘I did the most I could do, I made the most of my weekend.’ It doesn’t change my perspective or the way I want to approach the weekends.”
Ocon admits that it’s a tough time for Alpine, but he knows everyone is doing their utmost to improve: “It’s obviously a frustrating period as a driver, engineer, team leader, for everyone.”
“We don’t like the situation we’re in. We continue to pull together as a team and that’s the most important thing. If morale drops, everyone gets down after such tough times, you think you’re heading downwards. That’s not the case.”
Ocon’s Strategy: Optimize Everything at Alpine F1
In anticipation of better days ahead, Ocon aims to ‘optimize everything’ at Alpine F1
Following two highly frustrating initial races in 2024, Esteban Ocon, the Alpine F1 driver, naturally hopes for an improved performance with his A524 this weekend in Australia.
Although the Frenchman acknowledges his car is not yet capable of consistently scoring points, he asserts that Melbourne presents a “new opportunity.”
“Each race is a fresh chance, and we head to Australia with renewed optimism to challenge the teams around us.”
“We’re aware of our current package’s limitations and know we need to be at our best as soon as we hit the track. This includes not just my performance behind the wheel but also the team’s efforts in strategy, pit stops, and tuning optimizations.”
“This year, the field is incredibly tight, and as we saw in the previous race in Jeddah, points are immensely valuable and can quickly change the championship landscape.”
Ocon is particularly excited to return to the Albert Park circuit.
“It’s a unique track and fun to drive with its distinct challenges on the F1 calendar. It features all the hallmarks of a traditional city circuit but utilizes the peripheral roads of a public park.”
“The urban setting means very close walls in places, leaving no room for error. Since these roads are used for traffic all year round, the track surface can be somewhat bumpy. As it rubbers in, the speed increases session by session. The weather can also be unpredictable in Melbourne, with four seasons in a day, so we must stay alert and be ready to adapt.”
Despite the two-week gap between Saudi Arabia and Australia, the 10-hour time difference from France is significant to adjust to.
“One of the specific factors in preparing for a race in Australia is overcoming jet lag and minimizing the time needed for your body to acclimatize. Coming from Europe, there’s usually a ten or eleven-hour difference. This is something I work hard on with my coach.”
“It starts in the days before the flight by slightly altering my sleep patterns and delaying my wake-up times. Then, you need a strategy for when to rest on the flights to arrive synchronized with the local time. It’s challenging, but the incredible fans in Australia always energize us!”
Ocon Alpine F1 Future. Ocon Alpine F1 Future.
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