F1: in Brazil, Alpine's feat in a nightmarish season – 04/11/2024 at 08:36

“Historic”, “incredible”: on the famous Interlagos track, scene of the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix, the French Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly offered an unexpected double podium on Sunday to Alpine which, in difficulty this year, knew how to bet on a profitable strategy in difficult conditions.

Two enemy brothers hugging each other just moments away from giving France its first double podium in 27 years with Jean Alesi and Oliver Panis (during the 1997 Spanish GP), the image is as beautiful as it is unexpected.

It must be said that since the start of the season, the French team has not been able to do it. Penultimate in the constructors' championship before the arrival of the paddock in Brazil, the “French F1 team” would never have counted on such a performance.

“It’s incredible for the whole team,” rejoiced Sunday evening Gasly, third at the end of a crazy race largely disrupted by the rain where he started 13th. “We had such a difficult season (…) but in these conditions, everything was possible, we believed in it until the end.”

And Ocon, second in the GP, added: “As Ayrton (Senna, editor's note) said, rainy conditions often level out the performance of the cars.”

Certainly, they did not win – the victory having gone to the leader of the general Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – but the Norman duo nevertheless offered the first double podium to Alpine since its arrival in F1, in 2021 (previously, the team raced under the colors of Renault, a group of which Alpine is a part).

– Victory? Ocon believed in it –

Under the dark and capricious sky of Sao Paulo, Alpine achieved a remarkable strategic move since shortly before halfway, the two leading men George Russell (Mercedes) and Lando Norris (McLaren) returned to the pits, while the regime virtual safety car (VSC) was ending.

Bad timing which benefited Ocon, then third after starting fourth on the grid and remaining on the track. The Frenchman found himself at the helm of the GP ahead of Verstappen and his teammate Gasly, 3rd.

“It had become 'unrollable'”, admitted Ocon, “the car was not turning, there was nothing that reacted – but we made the right decision”, he also assured.

And for good reason: the gamble paid off since the leading trio benefited from a “free” pit stop a few moments later, when the race was interrupted after the Argentine Franco Colapinto left the track ( Williams).

Ocon “clearly believed in the victory” – but behind him, Verstappen showed all his talent after another neutralization, to take back the reins of the GP on the restart.

Alpine's strategic move propels the team to 6th place (out of 10) in the constructors' championship, behind Aston Martin, with three rounds remaining in the season.

– “Relation unique” –

Sunday evening in the paddock, no more old resentments: if the two French people, who grew up together near Rouen, are not known to be the best friends in the paddock, above all they enjoyed a shared podium.

“It’s a great story despite the differences,” appreciated Ocon, who will leave for Haas next year after five seasons at Renault, now Alpine – the last two of which were spent alongside Gasly.

“Despite all the ups and downs, our relationship is truly unique,” ​​admitted his teammate. “Only we can understand it, but today, coming to the end of these two years as a teammate, it’s just a wonderful story.”

“We managed to work really well together, to push the team even though the season was complicated, it would have been easy to give up everything – but we were a source of motivation for everyone,” he said. pursued, questioned by the French press in Sao Paulo.

“I'm really very proud of what we were able to achieve, despite the latest news (Renault will abandon the production of F1 engines in 2026, editor's note). Every weekend people arrive saying to themselves: 'we're going to try to give Esteban and Pierre the best possible car+”.