26/10/2023
NEWS STORY
Esteban Ocon could count himself unfortunate in Austin after a first lap collision ended his afternoon. But Esteban is fully determined to bounce back from that disappointment in Mexico City this weekend.
It was a difficult ending to the weekend in Austin, how do you reflect on it?
Esteban Ocon: Sunday was a tough day for us as it is not the way we wanted to end our race and our weekend. I made a strong start off the line and gained a number of places up the hill into Turn 1. Unfortunately, we were then caught in a racing incident, which brought damage to the left sidepod and floor and that was the end for us. There has been quite a few DNFs now this season, which has probably cost us points. We'll need to regroup as a team and bounce back in Mexico this week and I am looking forward to getting our weekend started.
What do you think of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez?
EO: This race has been very popular since returning to the calendar a few years ago. The fans here are awesome and the event and atmosphere is always pretty crazy and cool to experience. One of my favourite parts is driving through the packed stadium section, it's always pretty surreal and it never gets old. I enjoy coming to Mexico City in general, it is a beautiful country and you can really feel the 'fiesta' vibes as soon as you arrive in town. The track is nice to drive and the high altitude of Mexico City creates a completely different feeling to the car unlike any other we experience on the calendar. The air is very thin which can change how the car handles with a lot less grip and the race is more physically demanding. We are ready for the challenge and hope to have a strong one.
What are you goals for the rest of season?
EO: It's clear that it has not been the smoothest of seasons for us as a team so far. There has been highs and lows this year and we have not been able to reach the ambitious targets we set ourselves at the beginning of the year. That said, we are fully focused on ourselves and what we need to do to finish the year on a high. We have a package that is capable of finishing in the points at every race, and that is our target for the four remaining races starting this week in Mexico City. The team is hungry and motivated heading into this race and we will work hard to achieve a good result.
Pierre Gasly claimed ten points from the United States Grand Prix after his 'most complete' race weekend of the season. He hands over his car to Jack Doohan for Free Practice 1 on Friday and the Frenchman is fully focused and determined to continue scoring points in Mexico City.
How would you rate your weekend in Austin?
Pierre Gasly: I would certainly say it was our most complete weekend of the season so far as we were competitive right from Friday and that showed by reaching Q3 for the second race in a row. That was a strong start then we did it again to reach SQ3 on Saturday morning to put us in a good position for points in the Sprint Race. I was feeling good in the car and then we were able to deliver a seventh-place finish in the Sprint and deserved points. Sunday was certainly a trickier race. We lost a couple of places at the start but I knew we had a competitive car and we could make our way back up. In the end with a couple of post-race disqualifications, we took sixth, eight points in the bag to add to the two points on Saturday. I was very happy with the performance and the deserved end outcome which I'm targeting to repeat this weekend in Mexico City.
What are your thoughts heading to Mexico City?
PG: The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is an interesting track and it's a very unique challenge with the high altitude. We run high downforce wings but the car still feels light with the conditions. I'm handing over to Jack [Doohan] for Free Practice 1 and I'm looking forward to seeing his contribution to the race weekend as he will run some important test items during his stint in the car. I aim to be dialled in from Free Practice 2 and getting on it and adapting to the conditions. We need another operationally strong weekend - like in Austin - and I'm feeling ready for the challenge. It's a long and very tough race in Mexico City but my mind is set on another positive weekend where I aim to continue the points-scoring run.
Mexico City Grand Prix Factfile
• Sitting 2,200 metres (7,300ft) above sea level Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is the circuit with the highest altitude on the Formula 1 calendar
• Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is 4.304 in length, making it the third shortest circuit on the 2023 Calendar behind Circuit de Monaco and Circuit Zandvoort.
• Based on its 22-year-history on the F1 calendar there is a 43% chance of a safety car in Mexico City
• In 22 years of the event as a feature in the Formula 1 World Championship there has never been a Mexico City Grand Prix held under wet conditions
• Pierre recorded his best Qualifying result of fifth in 2021, converting it into his best race result with a fourth-place finish in the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix
• Esteban recorded his best Qualifying result of sixth and best race result of fifth in the 2017 Mexico City Grand Prix
• Having made five appearances at the Mexico City Grand Prix, both Esteban and Pierre have a 100% finishing record at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
• The Enstone-based team won on their first appearance at the Mexico City Grand Prix in 1986, with Gerhard Berger taking victory for Benetton; the first of 50 Enstone wins to date
• Pierre wore the helmet design of French F1 driver Francois Cevert during the United States Grand Prix. Cevert is one of 14 French drivers to have won Grands Prix (a list that includes both Esteban and Pierre). When he took victory at the 1971 USGP it was the first win for a French driver since 1958 and the longest-ever interval for wins between French drivers until Pierre ended a 24-year wait by winning the 2020 Italian Grand Prix
• Raceday in Mexico marks the anniversary of the first Constructors' Championship in Enstone history, a title that was clinched at the 1995 Japanese GP at Suzuka, when Michael Schumacher took victory with team-mate Johnny Herbert in third place
• This circuit includes the unusual feature of passing through the Foro Sol stadium toward the end of the lap. This arena is the second-largest concert venue in Mexico, hosting Taylor Swift's first-ever Mexican shows as recently as August, as well as being formerly used as a baseball stadium.