Happy as kids on their return to the stand, they sing in the rain, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. And too bad if, while they were in the lead at halfway, they had to leave victory to the extraordinary Max Verstappen on the Interlagos circuit. The Dutch driver, who missed his qualifying and then was penalized to the point of starting 17e on the grid, achieved an incredible comeback, one more feat in an extraordinary career, to sign his tenth victory of the season and move closer to a new world title (if he finishes ahead of Lando Norris in Las Vegas in three weeks, he will be sacred for the 4e times).
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The French drivers – Norman, even, since they come from the same region even if they are not the best friends – of the Alpine team, so mistreated in recent months, were able to keep their calm and adopt the right tactics under a Dantesque sky to snatch the runners-up on the podium.
If for Esteban Ocon, second place is “relatively” logical since he started in fourth position after excellent “qualifying”, Pierre Gasly's performance is exceptional. The native of Rouen started from the 13e place but the Brazilian circuit suits him perfectly, he who took 2e place in 2019. “It’s incredible for the whole teamhe reacted at the microphone of Canal+. We have struggled so much this season to score points that to be both on the podium is just fantastic. I'm very happy for the team, it's a complicated year but we never give up. »
Alpine is now 6e in the ranking of manufacturers
The last time that two French drivers were at such a party was in 1997, at the Spanish Grand Prix: Olivier Panis and Jean Alesi finished behind the (French-speaking!) Canadian Charles Villeneuve. Ocon and Gasly were barely born…
In the world driver rankings, Gasly now occupies 12e place with 26 points, and Ocon 14the with 23 points. Other good news of the day: Alpine is in sixth position in the manufacturers' standings, three races from the end of the season. Not bad, for a team in crisis for months, which has changed its managers and engineers…
