General
Alpine opens attack on top teams: 'Bringing some more updates to the car'
Alpine had a poor start to the year, getting the full brunt of its own CEO, Laurent Rossi. But since the Miami Grand Prix, things have improved. The French racing stable finished the last three GPs with two cars in the points each time, so there is a reason for optimism, and Esteban Ocon hopes to start connecting with the top teams.
In qualifying, the Alpine car impressed in recent weeks. Ocon drove the fourth fastest time in Monaco, and Pierre Gasly did the same in Spain a week later. On Saturdays, the Viry-based team has done quite well, but in terms of race pace, there is still more potential to unlock.
In any case, Ocon is optimistic that Alpine will now continue its good form. "Definitely. I mean, there's no reason why it can't continue. We are bringing some more updates to the car. So, you know, that's always very positive. We've been progressing super well in the last couple of races, especially on Saturdays. But there's still some work to do on Sundays."
As in Monaco towards the podium?
Team boss Otmar Szafnauer's formation hopes to fight with Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin. "If you get the car in the right window, anything can happen. It's kind of just how you see it at the minute and how you guys are approaching the race. It's super exciting, super exciting times. And you know that if you have a brilliant weekend, you know, you can drive a lot of cars ahead."
Still, as mentioned, things need to improve in the races. "And, yeah, we need to see what we can do to change that around. We have clues, we know what to work on, but yeah, it's easier to say it and harder to do it," he concludes.