29/08/2024
NEWS STORY
Esteban Ocon: The weekend in Zandvoort was a difficult one. We maximised what we could on race day with the tricky overtaking opportunities and traffic ahead but unfortunately that only resulted in 15th.
However, the weekend was not without its positives. It was a great effort from the other side of the garage to get some additional points for the team and it was a weekend of learning for our side. We were able to collect more data to help us to understand where we are struggling and how we can continue to improve. We will debrief ahead of Monza and hope to come back stronger.
I always enjoy the Monza race weekend and getting to be amongst the Italian fans. The Tifosi are unlike any other, the passion they have is infectious and the team truly love coming to the Italian Grand Prix. I spent a lot of time in Italy during my junior driving days, so it holds a particular place in my heart and of course the circuit is incredible to drive. It is so iconic, and the speed really gets your adrenaline pumping, every driver loves racing around Monza. Running back-to-back with Zandvoort means it will be a tight turn around to reflect on the past weekend, but we will be working hard this week to hit the track in Monza with everything we can.
Pierre Gasly: It was a good feeling to come back from the summer break and finish in the points at Zandvoort. To finish the race as the best behind the top four was well deserved by the entire team. We did a great job all weekend especially in turning things around from Friday Practice and into Qualifying where we reached Q3. Passing the Aston Martins at the start was crucial and the track position meant we were able to fully control our race after that. The one-stop strategy required us to make some overtakes and I got very familiar with the outside line at Turn 1! It was a well-executed and exciting race for us and hopefully we can keep this good form going.
I'm really looking forward to heading back to Monza this weekend, it's always a special race for me after I took my first F1 win there a few years ago, but also because it is a semi-home race for me! I live in Milan so I can sleep in my own bed every night (and see my dog)! The track is always very enjoyable to drive and every driver loves Monza. I like the high-speed nature of the track. There are some small changes to the layout there, which we will take time to understand and assess. We've proved this season that we can make the right decisions and have made good progress with our overall pace. As long as we continue to work hard and keep learning, I am sure we can have another strong weekend.