Alpine’s Esteban Ocon has found himself caught in the midst of the Formula 1 battle among the lower-ranked teams this season due to Alpine’s struggles. The French driver expressed his frustration, stating that entering race weekends without a realistic chance of scoring points is a disheartening experience.
During the season opener in Bahrain, there were no retirements, highlighting the dominance of the top five teams: Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. These teams finished a lap ahead of the rest of the field, leaving them out of contention for valuable points.
However, retirements in Saudi Arabia and Australia have allowed the other teams to make some progress and earn points. Despite this, there is already a significant 19-point gap between fifth-placed Aston Martin (25 points) and sixth-placed RB (6 points). Three teams have yet to score any points at all.
Before the Australian Grand Prix, Ocon was asked to share his thoughts on the growing disparity between the top and bottom five teams. He expressed his frustration, describing it as the most demoralizing feeling a driver can experience.
He further explained that it is disheartening to have a strong performance throughout the weekend and not be able to secure any points. There is no reward for the effort put in. However, Ocon emphasized that it is up to Alpine to improve their performance and close the gap with the leading teams.
He acknowledged the mental challenge of pushing hard during a race weekend, knowing that there might not be any reward at the end. Nevertheless, Ocon sees it as part of his job to give his best with the resources he has available.
In conclusion, Ocon highlighted his determination to make the most of the situation and continue pushing forward despite the challenges faced by Alpine.
Kevin Magnussen, who used his defensive skills to help his Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg earn a point in Saudi Arabia, also contributed to a double-point finish for the team in Australia. This achievement was made possible by the retirements of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell. Magnussen also shared his thoughts on the chances of smaller teams scoring points.
The Danish driver acknowledged that teams in the lower half of the standings need to have a flawless race in order to have a chance at scoring. However, he also mentioned that opportunities can arise through retirements and incidents involving the Safety Car.
“It’s disappointing that even with a strong performance, you may not score any points,” Magnussen said. “But this also makes the Constructors’ Championship more competitive because you have to win the race within the B-class to have a chance. If you don’t win that race, your chances are very slim.”
“However, historically and statistically, there will be opportunities,” he continued. “There will be races where some of the top 10 cars will encounter issues or fail to finish, and there will be races where overtaking is difficult. Maybe you can benefit from a lucky Safety Car or similar situations. So it’s not impossible, but it’s definitely more challenging.”
Logan Sargeant, another driver in the lower half of the standings, emphasized the importance of every small advantage for the bottom five teams. He explained that they must maximize every opportunity and position themselves well in case one of the top five teams encounters problems and a point becomes available.
Unfortunately for Sargeant, his words turned out to be prophetic. Just a day after expressing his thoughts in the Australian GP Drivers’ Press Conference, he was forced to withdraw from the rest of the weekend due to a crash involving Alex Albon during practice. As Williams did not have a spare chassis, Sargeant bore the consequences of the incident, even though he was not at fault. The team decided that Albon, being the more experienced driver, had a better chance of scoring points with the remaining car.
This incident highlights the extreme measures that teams in the lower half of the field must take in order to secure valuable points. Despite employing these strategies and benefiting from retirements, Williams left Melbourne without any points to their name.