Esteban Ocon, a member of the Alpine F1 Team, has denied that the struggles faced by the team in this Formula 1 season are similar to his previous experience with the Manor squad as a rookie. Ocon made his debut in Formula 1 in 2016 with Manor, a now-defunct team associated with Mercedes. Manor faced financial difficulties and failed to upgrade their car, resulting in poor performance and no points for Ocon. In contrast, Alpine has faced challenges this season with a new car concept, but Ocon believes there is hope for improvement as they are closer to the back of the grid compared to Manor’s situation in 2016.
Ocon acknowledges that the condensed lineup and the potential for enhancements offer him “optimism” that Alpine’s current difficult situation will not persist in the foreseeable future.
“We are aware that we are not in the desired position, so we must make progress and we are obligated to do so,” he stated.
“In my time at Manor, I knew that we would be at the back of the grid. We wouldn’t receive any updates and that was the end of it.
“It’s a completely different perspective. As you mentioned, it’s a matter of tenths, and you’re right there.”
Alpine has admitted that their latest car is grappling with traction issues, but Ocon is hopeful for a more promising performance in Saudi Arabia, especially considering the problem was exacerbated in Bahrain.
“I believe that from Bahrain, we have essentially maximized what we had available,” he evaluated. “We need to precisely assess where we stand.
“The car performed better here last year compared to Bahrain. We had more speed. I recall qualifying in sixth place here last year. Of course, I’m not going to claim that I’ll qualify in sixth place this year, but we aspire to be a bit closer to the pack than we were in Bahrain.
“We hope to extract a bit more. That’s the objective. Will we achieve it? We don’t know, but that’s what we strive for.”
In terms of the Jeddah circuit being less punishing on traction, Ocon remarked: “That’s a valid point. Let’s see how it plays out. It’s a track that I genuinely enjoy.
“At some point in 2021, I was on pole position, which was a nice accomplishment. I’ve come close to reaching the podium. I’ve consistently finished in the points.
“I eagerly anticipate driving on this track and having a great time. First and foremost, that’s why we’re here. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish.”