Alpine open Ocon talks, ‘not looking at’ Gasly
Date published:
May 20 2021
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi says the team have already opened talks about securing the services of Esteban Ocon beyond 2021.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff manages Ocon and said any talks surrounding his future should be taken up with Alpine first before being considered for a Mercedes seat – which Rossi described as “very graceful” behaviour from the Austrian as both Alpine and Mercedes lookat their driver options for the 2022 season.
Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski said the 24-year-old has “significantly improved” in his performances so far in 2021, largely out-pacing double World Champion team-mate Fernando Alonso in the early races.
Ocon admitted the team are not yet on the same level of pace as Ferrari, but remains confident Alpine will have a shot at disrupting the pecking order around the streets of Monte Carlo.
“Until we put the car there and we do the qualifying we will not know exactly, but I think looking at our performance in qualifying we should be in good shape in Monaco,” Ocon told reporters, as per Crash.net.
“I think we will be able to perform as good [as in Spain] so I think we can give a fight to Ferrari and the other cars around them in qualifying, I’m pretty confident about that.
8 May, 2021
Alpine F1 Team are without doubt the surprise package of the 2021 Formula 1 season thus far with Esteban Ocon qualifying fifth for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The Frenchman is enjoying a resurgence this year after a mediocre 202 season, but with veteran Fernando Alonso drafted into the squad Ocon has raised his game impressively.
After securing his best qualifying position since his fifth-place at last season’s Styrian Grand Prix, Ocon summed up his afternoon at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya: “It feels very good today and I’m happy with how we managed today’s qualifying session.
“I think this is the confirmation we were looking for, as we’ve repeated the speed we had in Portimao at this track, which is good. The car has been great this weekend and I’m feeling very good at the wheel with the team around me.
Alonso P5 but ‘more to come’ in Barcelona
Date published:
May 7 2021
Fernando Alonso ended FP2 at the Spanish GP in P5 just behind Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon, but said there is more to come.
Since pre-season testing shifted to Bahrain for 2021, it meant that this was the first and only scheduled visit to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya of the campaign, the site for Alonso’s home race.
“It was good to be back in Barcelona at this circuit after doing winter testing in Bahrain,” he told reporters.
And the Spaniard has given his compatriots hope of a strong weekend to come after he signed off for the day on Friday up in P5.
Alonso: ‘Totally different challenge’ in Portugal
Date published:
April 28 2021
Given he has never raced there before, Fernando Alonso is expecting Portimao to pose a “totally different challenge” to the season’s first two races.
After two years away from Formula 1, Alonso signed for
Alpine for the 2021 campaign and beyond.
His return to the grid has been made somewhat easier by the fact the first two races took place at circuits he has raced at in F1 before, Bahrain and Imola, even if he had not done so at the latter for a good while.
The same cannot be said for round three though, which is being held at Portimao, a circuit that only hosted its first F1 race last season as a late addition to the calendar and is serving as a replacement track again this year.