Esteban Ocon remains cautiously optimistic following Alpine’s acquisition of its inaugural point of the F1 season at the Miami Grand Prix. Ocon has urged for a measured approach, advising against excessive celebration despite securing his first point amidst Alpine’s challenging start to the campaign.
Securing the 10th position at the Miami Grand Prix was a commendable feat for the 27-year-old, considering he initially qualified for the race in 13th place, just behind his teammate Pierre Gasly.
The duo engaged in a spirited duel during the opening lap, yet skillfully avoided any clashes, enabling Ocon to contribute to his team’s climb to eighth place in the constructors’ standings, a significant improvement from their initial position at the bottom of the table.
As the race progressed, Ocon adeptly maneuvered past competitors to secure a spot within the points-paying positions, successfully fending off challenges from Nico Hulkenberg in the latter stages. Meanwhile, Gasly maintained his starting position, finishing in 12th place behind the Haas team.
Ocon, however, emphasized the need for perspective, stating, “No, we don’t want to be jumping around and be celebrating too hard – obviously, it’s only a top 10,” during his interaction with the media following the race.
“But considering where we were a couple of races ago – in Bahrain, 19th and 20th – I think we can take the positives out of this race and [the] baby steps that we are doing at the moment.”
Although Alpine concluded last year’s campaign in sixth position, boasting a substantial 120-point gap between Ocon and Gasly, a shift in design philosophy during the winter months led to the team’s regression to the rear of the field at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Throughout the initial five rounds of the season, the duo struggled to secure significant finishes, with Ocon’s 11th place at the Chinese Grand Prix standing as their best result. Ocon was swift to underscore this achievement to the media, particularly considering the recent strides made by the Enstone squad.
Reflecting on the arduous start to the season, Ocon remarked, “That obviously feels good because the team kept motivated, kept trying to understand what is going on with our pace.
“It hasn’t been the smoothest weekend, but it’s two races that we come close to the points – 11th in Shanghai, today, we are inside the points. [It] definitely feels good to come out of this weekend with some reward.”
