16/05/2023
NEWS STORY
Esteban Ocon aims to build from his points-scoring finish in Miami as he and the team embark on the European stretch of the 2023 Formula 1 calendar. First up is the legendary Imola where Esteban looks to keep focus and bring back another top ten finish.
How do you reflect on the last couple weeks with the team's double points finish in Miami?
Esteban Ocon: Firstly, we knew we had to quickly move on from Baku and we had a great chance to bounce back straight away in Miami, which we were able to do. It was a good couple of days where we showed strong pace, and we were rewarded with double points for the team on Sunday. I think we are still not quite where we'd like to be but there are signs that we can take the fight to the top teams and challenge for higher positions up the grid. The upcoming triple-header will be a good test for us to show what we can do and we must target extracting maximum performance.
How did you spend the week ahead of the triple header?
EO: The last week was actually very busy for everyone at the team. Immediately after Miami, we were in Bristol where we unveiled the all-new A290 show car, a 100% electric urban sports car to be introduced next year. I then visited the factory in Viry-Chatillon where I oversaw the finals of the 'Concours d'Excellence Mecanique', a competition which gives young people in France the opportunity to showcase various skills via a series of challenges relating to car mechanics. I also drove at Circuit Paul Ricard for a Pirelli test last weekend and was in the simulator in Enstone earlier this week preparing for the races ahead. We managed to squeeze in some training and meetings with the team to be as ready as possible for Imola and we are ready to tackle this new Grand Prix weekend.
Do you look forward to driving at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?
EO: I always love driving in Italy. I spent so many years racing there in the junior categories and I have great memories from those years. Imola is a historic, old-school track with a challenging layout that us drivers really enjoy. Qualifying is key given it presents quite a narrow circuit width compared to other modern circuits. It therefore makes overtaking more challenging, putting more emphasis on strategy to make up places. We didn't score any points there last year so we'll need to correct that this time around. We'll need to use the practice sessions as best as we can to be in a good position ahead of Saturday afternoon and have the best chance for strong points on Sunday.
It's been a busy month of May for Pierre and the team. After qualifying fifth and finishing eighth in Miami to score four points, the Frenchman is determined to piece together consistent performances beginning in Imola this weekend for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
After a week to debrief, what are your thoughts after the recent double header?
Pierre Gasly: I must say, I was pretty pleased to have a clean weekend in Miami and come away with some points. Baku was a low point for all of us at the team and we simply had to put that behind us, take all the learnings we could from our mistakes and return with a strong performance in Miami. Qualifying was solid, great to be up there in fifth place, and the aim from there was to make sure we scored as many points as we could. It was always going to be tough to keep some of the quicker cars behind but even so, we scored points and we move onto Imola looking to piece together another good performance.
What is your mindset heading into this race and the upcoming triple header?
PG: We're in the middle of a very busy period of the Formula 1 calendar so we must stay focused on our job and add some consistency to our performances. We've shown the potential of our package without putting together consecutive results to show for it, so I think by showing we can perform to a high level on a regular basis over the upcoming three races is important. First up, though, is Imola, a proper classic circuit. It's a challenging track but also a lot of fun with some very fast and interesting corners. We must maximise practice on Friday and put ourselves in a good position to qualify and race well with the aim of scoring double points.
Have you kept busy over the past week?
PG: It's been very busy even for a week off from racing! I was in Bristol for the Alpine A290 Beta car launch before some time on the simulator at Enstone in preparation for Imola. I managed to catch the Champions League semi-final, the Milan derby, before going to Circuit Paul Ricard at the weekend for Pirelli wet weather tyre testing. That was a productive day, some interesting learning for us and Pirelli and now I'm ready to go to Imola feeling determined for a good weekend where points is our aim.