Esteban Ocon came away with a big result in Las Vegas after a weekend filled with mixed emotions. From an unfortunate incident in Practice to exiting in Q1, the Frenchman brushed those frustrations aside to claim a superb fourth place with 12 points scored. Now Esteban prepares for the season finale in Abu Dhabi where he aims to push to the very end.

It was an incredible recovery from sixteenth to fourth in Las Vegas to score 12 points, how do you reflect on the rollercoaster weekend?
Esteban Ocon: To be racing in such an iconic city was a surreal experience. Well done again to the organisers on putting up an event of such magnitude. For us, it was a weekend with a lot of emotions, from the lows of our Practice incident, followed by the outcome in Qualifying, to the high of our race result in fourth place; it was certainly a rollercoaster. On Saturday night, we did well to avoid the chaos at the start and then managed to put together two good stints, looked after the tyres well and maintained competitive pace until the chequered flag. We are all very satisfied with this result and it's one we deserve. After the podium in Monaco, this is my second best result this season and I am very happy for the team and thank them for their continued hard work. Overall, it was an encouraging weekend for the us in Las Vegas where we had a competitive car both in Qualifying and in the Race. Still, there are many things to analyse from our performance as a team before our sights quickly set on Abu Dhabi, the final race of the season.

How are you feeling ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi?
EO: It's definitely been a long and intense season for everyone and I know we are looking forward to the time off to rest and recover ahead of next year. Our full focus is now on performing well this weekend, carrying the momentum through from Las Vegas, and ending the season on a high. The Yas Marina Circuit is a track we enjoy and know well. Of course, I'll be sitting out of FP1 this weekend as Jack [Doohan] will be in the car and I am sure he will do a great job. We are all motivated to have another positive weekend, wanting to end on a high note and give some extra boost to everyone during the winter season. We'll keep our heads down this weekend and focus on ourselves as we aim for a smooth weekend and to end the season with more points in the bag.

It was a disappointing end outcome for Pierre Gasly in Las Vegas. After lining up on the second row of the grid, it was all pointing in the right direction for the Frenchman to come away with a big haul of points. Pierre is determined to bounce back in Abu Dhabi, the season finale, where he targets a positive end to the year in his maiden season in Alpine colours.

How do you assess the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend?
Pierre Gasly: It was a disappointing end for me and it's always frustrating not to score points. It's made even more bitter by the fact we were well in contention for good points for most of the race. In general, it was a very busy weekend. Through Practice, a lot of my running centred around some test items for 2024, which is important work to go through. By Qualifying, the car felt in a really good place and it was awesome to qualify in fifth place and then line-up on the second row for the race. The first stint was solid enough to remain in the top five hunt, but then, my stint on Hards was really difficult. The tyres grained and it proved too much to even be in the points. We have plenty to assess but, as a team, clearly the performance was there with Esteban's fourth place finish. There are positives to take and it's important we keep learning and keep applying what we find in order to improve. In terms of the event, I must say, it was a very cool experience to be racing in Las Vegas. Congratulations to everyone involved for making it happen and I'm sure future races will be even bigger and better!

What is the outlook for Abu Dhabi?
PG: It is now time for the final race of the season, which seems like it has come by in a flash. I'm definitely feeling excited for it after what has been a long season, and a busy couple of weeks with the triple header followed by Las Vegas. We're back to a conventional track with normal timings and a standard weekend format. It's a track we all know well and hopefully there won't be too many surprises. The target is pretty simple. We aim to finish the season inside the points to maximise our tally for the year. After a couple of days rest and figuring out the time zones, I'm looking forward to Friday and beginning the weekend in the best possible way.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Factfile

• The 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the 12th time a Formula 1 season finale has been held at Yas Marina Circuit meaning the track will overtake Adelaide as the circuit which has hosted the most season ending Formula 1 races.

• Based on its 14-year history on the Formula 1 calendar, there is a 36% chance of a safety car at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix however, there has never been a red-flag during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

• Due to the inaugural 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix being held on a Saturday night last weekend, the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the first time there has been an eight day gap between two consecutive races since the 1966 Dutch Grand Prix.

• Of his six appearances at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Esteban has started in the top ten in five of them and finished in the points in four. He recorded both his best Qualifying and his best finish at last year's Grand Prix, having qualified eighth and finished seventh.

• Pierre recorded his best finish at Yas Marina Circuit at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing fifth having climbed seven places from his 12th place starting position.

• Esteban's first-ever taste of an F1 weekend came when he drove in FP1 for the Enstone team (then known as Lotus) at the 2014 Abu Dhabi GP, finishing only one place behind regular driver Pastor Maldonado.

• Alpine reserve Jack Doohan will have a busy weekend in Abu Dhabi, as not only is he due to drive for the team during Friday's FP1 session, but it will also begin only 1h 40m after he will have finished his Formula 2 practice session and end only half an hour before he has to jump back in his F2 car for qualifying!

• This is the final stop of a 22-race season that has seen drivers race for 1,325 laps, over a total distance of 6,700 kilometres. When including the practice, qualifying and sprint sessions, Alpine F1 cars have completed a total of 27,903 kilometres during race weekends in 2023, the equivalent of driving 70% of the way around the world since the beginning of FP1 in Bahrain back in March.

• By the time the chequered flag waves in Abu Dhabi this Sunday evening, there will only be 97 days to prepare before the lights go out to start the 2024 F1 season.