Alpine has struggled all season to try to make up for its completely failed start to the 2024 campaign. Even if the situation seems to have improved a little since then, the results are not really there. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have only been able to score 13 points this year, meaning the team currently sits ninth in the constructors’ standings.
The weekends are similar for the two French people, who cannot help but show their frustration during post-race interviews. Asked how he kept his drivers motivated, team director Oliver Oakes replied that he had never been worried by either Gasly or Ocon.
“To be honest, I think they are both, from my point of view, very good people to work with, extremely professional, there was never any concern about their motivation”declared the man who took over the management of Alpine during the summer holidays. “It’s obvious they’re frustrated, just as I would be in their position. You don’t want to be walking around on Sunday and not having a chance to fight for anything.”
Although there are only six races left before the grand finale in Abu Dhabi, Oliver Oakes remains hopeful for the rest of the year. He explained that the development “out of sync” of the French team will allow him to regain performance at the end of the season.
“We know that by the end of the year, we should return to performance”he added. “I think we were a little surprised after Spa and Zandvoort [où un pilote a fini dans les points lors des deux courses]we hoped [continuer comme ça]. This racing series was kind of what we [pensions avoir]but I think actually, as you saw, we’re a little out of sync.”
“We were slow to bring what we needed to bring at the start of the season and we find ourselves a little out of sync with the others. I hope that by the end of the year we can at least show progress in the performance.”
This season, many teams suffered from developments that did not work like Ferrari, Aston Martin or even Red Bull. Others, on the other hand, have been perfectly successful in their development, like McLaren so far. Williams also took a good step forward in Singapore. The British team was able to take eighth place in the championship, therefore placing itself ahead of Alpine. Oakes continues to harbor hopes of being able to turn things around, like some of his rivals.
“Some made big changes, some made some that didn’t work”he added. “I think we just have to see how things go when we bring them. I don’t think it’s as simple as having a number in mind for what you bring. In the end, this also has to translate onto the track.”
“I think the mid-grid battle is very close and we can see things moving [rapidement] So it’s interesting to see that from one weekend to the next, even between the leading drivers, between teammates in the same car, it’s interesting to see, with a neutral eye, to what extent it changes. ‘one circuit to another and also, if I dare say, in the battles that we also fight.’
With Ewan Gale and Jonathan Noble
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