Frenchman Esteban Ocon, 16th at the end of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, “probably” missed “a chance” to score his first points in the championship this season – the first for his Alpine team too -, said he explained on Sunday, after a technical problem.
“We had to make an additional stop due to a tear-off (those thin plastic films that pilots stick to the visor of their helmet and tear off when it is dirty, editor’s note) stuck in a brake duct. the rear,” detailed the Norman.
“We probably had a chance of scoring points without that given the way the race went,” he also assured at the end of a weekend where “the car seemed a little better”.
His compatriot Pierre Gasly also finished outside the Top 10, synonymous with points. Thirteenth on the finish line, the Frenchman received a five-second penalty for crossing a white line when exiting the pits, a sanction which changed nothing in his classification.
Arriving this season with a brand new car, Alpine is in great difficulty and currently occupies last position in the manufacturers’ standings after three rounds (out of 24). The French team is still waiting to score its first point this season.
“Even if we haven’t scored any points, we are progressing gradually,” said boss Bruno Famin. “We need to improve in many areas, and we will, because it was far from a clean race for both cars today.”
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