Esteban Ocon enjoyed a successful 2021 season. The French driver became the newest race winner in Formula One after his victory in Hungary last year. He showcased his calmness while keeping Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel at bay throughout the race. Ocon gained a lot of confidence from the 2021 season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Other than Hungary, the Alpine driver also impressed in Saudi Arabia. Esteban, at one point, led the race but was beaten by Valtteri Bottas for P4 at the finish line. The French driver reflected on his 2021 season in a positive light and also praised his teammate Fernando Alonso for his contribution.
WATCH STORY: F1 Drivers Fighting on Track
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
We did exactly what we wanted to do: Esteban Ocon on the 2021 season
Alpine finished the 2021 season in P5 ahead of their rivals AlphaTauri. The team claimed two podiums with Ocon’s win in Hungary and Alonso’s P3 in Qatar. But Ocon reveals they want to learn from last season to improve their performances in the important 2022 season.
“Yes, it definitely does. We did exactly what we wanted to do. We knew we didn’t have the fastest car. In that respect, we didn’t have a package that was strong enough to fight at the front,” said Ocon.
Formula One F1 – Hungarian Grand Prix – Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary – August 1, 2021, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon celebrates after winning the race pool via REUTERS/Florian Goga
“But whenever an opportunity arose, we were always there to use it. For example, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Budapest, especially Sochi for Fernando, are some of them. We wanted to be at the best possible level operationally, and we did that last year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
I think we can be proud of that because it means that when we have a fast car, we can fight with the best cars and the best teams without fear,” said Esteban.
Alpine had previously mentioned that they hope to be fighting at the front of the grid in the 2022 season. If that is the case, it is safe to assume that both Ocon and Alonso will give their best to challenge the other teams for the title.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
It would be amazing to see the French team at the front in the coming years so we can see more Ocon victories.
DIVE DEEPER
Enjoyed reading this article? Download our exclusive app to get 24×7 coverage, latest memes and social media banter. Click here to download.
