After a tough race in Las Vegas, Ocon aims for a strong result in Qatar, with the added challenge of a Sprint weekend.
Esteban Ocon wants to put his tough race in Las Vegas behind him, after his efforts were spoiled by a botched pit stop from his team (the team wasn’t ready).
Finishing without points, Ocon is aiming for much better results in Qatar this weekend, with the added excitement of a Sprint.
“It was a difficult race for the team last week in Las Vegas, as we had issues in several areas throughout the weekend,” the Frenchman recalls.
“We had a good start, but an unfortunate mistake during our first pit stop set us back, and we couldn’t recover to finish in the points.”
“Las Vegas is always a tricky event for everyone, with the climate and the timing, so a big thank you to the team for working hard throughout the weekend. It just wasn’t our day.”
“I’m looking forward to going back to Qatar. The conditions will be very different from what we had in Las Vegas, and the calendar change should provide better conditions than in 2023.”
“Since this is the last Sprint weekend of the year, every moment on track will count. The key will be to make the most of Friday’s practice sessions to be fully prepared for the rest of the weekend.”
“We had a good result last year, qualifying eighth and finishing the race in seventh. The goal will be to repeat that and try to fight for points in this penultimate round of the season.”
Ocon won’t help Haas F1 finish sixth: “I’m still driving for Alpine.” The Frenchman has a clear mission in Qatar.
Esteban Ocon wants to finish the 2024 season strongly with Alpine F1 by helping the team secure sixth place in the constructors’ championship. He regrets missing out on points in Las Vegas and expects an intense end to the season.
“The goal is always to do the best we can to reach sixth place. It’s a shame about Las Vegas, there were points up for grabs, I was fighting for them, but we didn’t get them, and I want to bounce back here,” said Ocon.
“It will be very tight, some teams are faster than us right now, and we need to make sure we seize the opportunities when they come and do a better job than in Las Vegas.”
Facing off against Haas, his future team, he assures he will give his all for his current team: “I’m doing the best I can with what I have, we want to finish the season on a high note and secure sixth place in the championship.”
“That’s what I want to do with Alpine. I see the progress Haas is making, they are very quick, but I’m still driving for Alpine, and that’s where my focus is. It’s the least I can do, and I’m really concentrating on that.”
F1 aims to implement a cooling system for drivers within their car seats, and Ocon is supportive of the idea. However, he believes the current concepts being developed are not the most effective.
“It’s great that the FIA is trying to help us in extreme conditions that can be dangerous. We saw (in 2023) Lance getting out of his car and going to the ambulance, Logan didn’t finish, several drivers, including myself, got sick. This year it’s cold, there’s wind, and it’s pretty chilly!”
“I think we’ll find a solution to make it work. I don’t think we’re heading in the right direction with the system, I’ve heard it’s a vest and it could be heavy. But I haven’t tested it, so I’m not sure about the technical details.”
“But we’ve seen GT cars that cool through the seat, with holes drilled in it, and that would be preferable. I don’t know if it’s possible, but it could be something to consider for the future.”
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Ocon Targets Points in Qatar Following Pit Stop Mishap
Ocon Targets Points in Qatar Following Pit Stop Mishap
