BWT Alpine F1 Workforce heads to Spielberg for Spherical 11 of the 2024 FIA Formulation 1 World Championship, the Austrian Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon: It was encouraging for us to have a great efficiency all through the entire weekend in Barcelona the place we once more completed in tenth place and added vital factors to the Constructors’ Championship. The automotive was comparatively aggressive proper from the beginning of the weekend and we managed to ship all through Qualifying and be in Q3. The race, on my facet, was barely more difficult. There was plenty of sliding and the automotive steadiness was tough however, even so, we completed comfortably contained in the factors and that is constructive. We simply have to assess these particulars to enhance for subsequent time.
I’ve at all times appreciated racing in Austria. I’ve some fond reminiscences right here. Again in 2020, after a yr out from racing, racing in Spielberg was the primary one of many season. I bear in mind the very moist Qualifying that yr once we managed to qualify in fifth. In 2022, we had a great weekend right here, taking ten factors in fifth place. The monitor itself is brief so often the sphere is shut and each hundredth and thousandth of a second counts. We’ve to get our excessive pace steadiness proper and the goal for us is hold the constructive development going, which implies an eye fixed on Q3 once more and, in fact, useful factors.
This weekend is scheduled to be Ocon’s 144th Grand Prix begin, tying the whole of 1972 and 1974 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.
Pierre Gasly: I flew again from Barcelona feeling actually happy as we now have now made it three points-scoring finishes in a row. Though it is solely small factors, it has been three good performances the place we have managed to enhance the general bundle even with out including any updates to the automotive. We should hold pushing on and goal a continuation of this manner as each level will rely by the tip of the yr in a good Championship struggle. In fact, there was somewhat little bit of disappointment to not be eighth place on Sunday however to be preventing a Pink Bull on advantage proper up till the ultimate lap reveals our stage enchancment and that’s satisfying.
Triple headers are at all times difficult. After Barcelona we’re straight into Austria and for a busy Dash weekend. Spielberg is a brief lap, the shortest for lap occasions throughout the yr, with solely 9 corners. It is a difficult one with kerbs, onerous braking zones and plenty of high-speed corners. It is at all times an excellent occasion in Austria, an amazing ambiance and a spot I’ve loved racing. We should take our learnings from Barcelona – particularly excessive pace efficiency and steadiness – and apply them right here this weekend. As it is a Dash we now have to be on the tempo immediately and put ourselves ready to compete in each races.
Alpine carried out its three quickest pitstops of the 2024 season within the Spanish Grand Prix. With Pierre Gasly’s 2.32s cease within the Japanese GP being their earlier greatest, the group carried out stops of two.03s (Ocon), 2.24s (Gasly) and a couple of.27s (Ocon once more) in Catalunya, making Alpine the third-fastest group in pitlane in 2024, behind solely championship leaders Pink Bull and Ferrari.
