Has the Alpine A524 bearing the number 31 had a problem for several Grands Prix? In any case, this is what Esteban Ocon says after qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Norman was eliminated at the gates of Q3, in 11th place when at the same time, his teammate Pierre Gasly took a surprising 3rd place, the best ranking for an Alpine this season in the flying lap exercise.
According to Esteban Ocon, his car is suffering from a problem which has persisted since the start of the American tour. Since Austin, Esteban Ocon has always been beaten by Pierre Gasly in qualifying – with the exception of São Paulo, where qualifying took place in the rain – with gaps exceeding three tenths in the same sessions. The recent 2nd in the Brazilian Grand Prix points out a lack of pace which he estimates at more than five tenths, without knowing where this recurring problem comes from.
Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 11th in qualifying in Las Vegas : “It’s a difficult weekend. From Austin, it seems like we're losing five tenths – or more – in the car's pace. There is an obvious lack of grip with my car, and we cannot find the exact cause to rectify this problem. I was very happy with my lap, if you look at where we should have been, it was a good lap like I did in Q3 in the past. Unfortunately, that's where we are right now. »
“We have to keep looking, that’s what the team is doing at the moment. Let's hope, for tomorrow, that the race is decided more on the degradation of the tires more than on the race pace, because in terms of pace, I don't think we can score any points. However, looking back at last year, tire wear was a problem for everyone and I hope it will still be the case tomorrow.
“In São Paulo, there was a good 5-6 tenths difference [avec Gasly]it was the same in Mexico. This has been quite significant for quite a while. We continue to search with the team and I hope that we will succeed in finding [le problème] before the end of the season. But right now, it's a little frustrating. »
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