Ocon hopes for better times after 'toughest race of the season'

Almost identical set-up

The difference in pace in Sochi between both Alpine drivers was striking, Ocon himself has to admit. For the Frenchman, it was extra confusing because both drivers drove with the same set-up." The cars have been pretty much identical in terms of set-up for the last three or four races," Ocon told Motorsport.com. "And there was quite a difference between us in Sochi."

According to Ocon, Alonso and he also no longer give the same feedback about the car. "We have a few ideas about what it could be and we'll see if we can fix it for the next race or the race after, so we'll see." This is not the first time Ocon has had problems with the car. Earlier this season he received a completely new chassis, which did seem to fix the problems.

Difficult race in Russia

In Sochi, however, it was back to square one for Ocon, which he described as one of his most difficult races of the season. "The first few laps we were able to hold on in a good position, but after that, it was quite difficult. In terms of pace, we were too slow lap after lap and we lost ground on the cars in front of us."

The Frenchman does not have a clear explanation for the lack of speed. "There is no specific reason," Ocon said. "I feel good behind the wheel, as I have felt good at Monza or Zandvoort. So we still have a lot of things to check. There is still a lot of work to do before we go to Turkey, but we will see what was wrong."