After qualifying in 19th place and with teammate Pierre Gasly finishing last, Ocon expressed to the press: “We find ourselves in this predicament, I find myself in this predicament, no one enjoys being at the rear. We are all competitors within this team, and it is crucial for us to stand united, maintain a positive attitude, and progress forward.
“This team, some years ago, engineered a victorious vehicle, and those concepts were conceived in the same locations as they are today, in Viry and Enstone,” he added, referring to the factories in France and England. “We have the potential to replicate these achievements, and I have faith in the team’s ability to take a step forward.”
Alpine concluded last season in sixth place overall, a decline from their fourth-place finish in 2022. However, they faced the departure of Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin and Oscar Piastri to McLaren at the end of 2023.
Subsequently, they also parted ways with their principal, Otmar Szafnauer, in July, along with long-standing sporting director Alan Permane and chief technical officer Pat Fry, who both joined Red Bull’s RB and Williams, respectively. The loss of these key figures has had a greater impact on the Alpine team compared to the previous season. Without a genuine Team Principal, the French team is now crumbling.
Ocon clarified afterwards: “Undoubtedly, the reality is that we lack speed, particularly in short bursts. In the race, we will see our true position during long runs. We had indications during testing that this would be the case.
“We were uncertain, but today’s reality confirms it. We are at the back, lacking pace. We must continue to push together in order to make a difference in the future.”
Ocon drew hope from the progress made by Aston Martin and McLaren last season: “Just because we find ourselves in this situation now does not mean it will be the same story in five or six races. We will continue to work diligently. Hopefully, we will have a smooth race and gather more ideas for the next one as we move forward to Jeddah.”
His Alpine teammate Gasly concurred: “We are aware of our current position, and the team is exerting maximum effort, working tirelessly to bring constant improvements to the car. Most importantly, we are standing together as a team.” (Reported by Alan Baldwin)