This weekend, Formula 1 returned to the sprint format for the Canadian Grand Prix. The teams therefore had only one practice session to test, evaluate and prepare their cars. Something that Alpine did perfectly since in the sprint qualifying later in the day, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon once again made it to the last part of a qualifying session.
At the end of the only run of SQ3, spoiled by traffic which almost trapped the two drivers of the French team, Pierre Gasly took the ninth time just behind his teammate in eighth place. The two Frenchmen were able to gain a position because Charles Leclerc was unable to achieve his final time, crossing the starting line after the checkered flag.
Although he seems satisfied to have once again reached the last part of qualifying, Pierre Gasly still expresses a certain frustration regarding his last lap.
“It was a good qualifying, overall, to have both cars in SQ3. Unfortunately, SQ3 was bad, just mishandled. We almost didn’t make the lap. I had to push on the out lap to get across the line, so I had no battery on the last lap and I was in Checo’s gearbox. [Pérez]. So we have to review our copy to do better, because this is the kind of situation where we can really improve. But SQ1 and SQ2 were very good and the pace was good, it’s just a shame for the last part of qualifying.”
Alpine’s best race result so far has been a ninth and tenth place in the last two rounds, in Canada and Spain, allowing the French team to score six points in the constructors’ championship. To hope to take points this Saturday during the sprint race, you will have to place among the first eight, a group made up of Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.
“We have good pace, like in Barcelona, we seem to be ahead of the others again, faster than the rest of the mid-pack behind us. I think that’s positive. We know that the group ahead of us, the top eight, is out of reach, but we will try, like in Barcelona, to stay with them as much as possible. We know that it is the top eight who score points, so it will not be easy, but we will do. our best.”
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524
Photo de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“There are still question marks”
As we know, the Barcelona circuit is the benchmark of the Formula 1 calendar. This is where the “real” performances of each single-seater are revealed. An element that delights Esteban Ocon, who knows that the A524 will be able to perform well on a number of circuits, such as this weekend in Austria.
“Habit? I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. It’s only been one weekend since we managed to get through Q3. This is the second. It’s good news, because it means that we will be able to perform well on a number of circuits. Some characteristics are similar to those of Barcelona, which is a good thing I think it is the maximum we could achieve today in terms of position. “
However, the French driver still sees inconsistencies in the Alpine single-seaters, which behave differently from one weekend to another or from one session to another.
“There are still question marks, really. From car to car, there are things we don’t understand from an aerodynamic point of view. But once we understand that, I I think we can hopefully improve further in terms of performance. We’ll see where that takes us but for now we’re in the points to start and that’s pretty strong.
