Who could have thought, in this 2024 season which is so gloomy, so dark for Alpine, that the French team would score not one, but two podiums! Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly achieved a real feat this Sunday, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Brazilian Grand Prix. A resounding performance for a team that was more accustomed to the back of the grid and the backs of the peloton than to champagne this year! The Enstone team also secured its first double podium since the Renault group returned to Formula 1 in 2016.
Cocorico obviously for our two French drivers, since we have to go back to the 1997 Spanish Grand Prix to see two French people on the same podium (Olivier Panis – Jean Alesi)! A double podium which is the result of an incredible strategic move for the French team: the two drivers stayed on the track as long as possible with intermediate tires, despite pouring rain, in the hope of a red flag… and the Gods of Formula 1 proved them right since the race was interrupted on the 33rd lap after Franco Colapinto’s accident.
Ranked 1st and 3rd, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly then drove their A524 brilliantly and, even if they could not follow the frenetic pace of the winner Max Verstappen, the French duo managed their race perfectly to finish on the podium . Thanks to the 33 points collected this Sunday, Alpine climbs from 9th to 6th place in the Manufacturers’ championship with 49 points, ahead of Haas (46 points) and Racing Bulls (44 points)! An improbable scenario that saves the A arrow season.
Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 2nd in the Brazilian GP : “What a day!” After such a complicated season… it’s so nice to drive here, with the performance leveled out thanks to the rain. Someone important to all of us said a long time ago that in the rain, cars are almost all equal. This sentence has not aged! I’m very happy to be on the podium, it’s incredible, and the support here in Brazil from all the Brazilian fans is incredible.
“The car was very difficult to drive in the dry, but it was easier when it started to rain this morning. [Samedi] evening, really wanted to do some laps in the rain, I like it when it rains here. Today brought a great race for us. »
Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 3rd in the Brazilian GP : “It’s incredible for the whole team! We are going through a very difficult season, we are struggling to score points and in these conditions, everything was possible. I believed in it until the end… two cars on the podium, I don’t think anyone had that in their predictions at the start of the season! It’s fantastic!
« [Samedi]the dry race was pretty good. I finished 7th, but this morning we had bad qualifying where we couldn’t have a good lap in Q2 because of the incidents. We started from afar, but I managed to recover 10 positions! I’m absolutely ecstatic at the moment, I’m very proud of the whole team, to surpass this complicated season. It would have been too easy to give up, but we never give up and we are here. Both cars 2nd and 3rd, big points for the team, everyone can be proud today. »
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