Esteban Ocon asks media not to ‘laugh’ at what he said about Alpine after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly transformed Alpine’s season at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday. In perhaps the biggest shock of the 2024 campaign so far, they scored an extraordinary double podium.

Before this weekend, no midfield team (i.e. lower than fourth in the standings) had finished on the podium all season. And yet Alpine managed to get both of their cars on the rostrum at Interlagos.

Ocon showed formidable pace in the treacherous wet conditions, qualifying a season-best fourth. He’s only bettered that result three times in his entire career.

The Frenchman led 14 laps in Sunday’s race, pulling away from Max Verstappen at one stage, before the Red Bull driver got past at the final safety-car restart. By finishing second, he nearly quintupled his season tally of five points.

In the other car, Gasly had started 13th after a more forgettable qualifying display. However, he climbed to ninth on lap one and was sixth by the time the race was red-flagged following Franco Colapinto’s crash.

Like his teammate, he was rewarded for staying out, reaping the benefits of a free tyre change. He held off George Russell to notch 15 points and climb to 12th in the standings, just five adrift of the top 10.

Esteban Ocon says ‘it’s difficult to be worse’ than Alpine are in dry conditions

Coming into the race, Alpine were second from bottom in the constructors’ with just 14 points. Now they’re sixth, leaving Haas, RB and Williams stunned.

Speaking in the post-race press conference, Ocon urged the media not to ‘laugh’ as he admitted Alpine could only have improved when it started raining, so poor was their performance in the dry. He hadn’t finished in the points since the Belgian GP before the summer break.

Drivers’ talent came to the fore at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, more so than car performance, on one of the wettest days of racing in years. Ocon and Gasly showcased immense car control and composure and the Alpine pit wall delivered too.

“I think we are normally better in the rain,” Ocon said. “It’s difficult to be worse at times than where we are on the dry, especially lately. Don’t laugh, please.

“But it’s definitely great to be able to execute such a race. The team have been spot on on strategy calls, tyres, And when everyone is on a level playing field, we can play and here we were.”

Flavio Briatore shares how much Alpine’s double podium at Brazilian Grand Prix will be worth

Ocon is leaving Alpine at the end of the season after a five-year stay. He’s signed for Haas, where he’ll be the senior figure in the garage alongside teenager Oliver Bearman.

Replacement Jack Doohan reacted to Alpine’s double podium on Sunday, calling it a ‘huge’ and ‘amazing’ achievement. It may help the Australian in his rookie year.

That’s because the team could be in for significantly more prize money if they can hold on to sixth. Haas and RB are both within five points, but Gasly’s seventh place in the dry Sprint showed that the team can be competitive on a normal weekend too.

Team advisor Flavio Briatore says Alpine could net £25m on the back of the 35-point haul. They were on track for their poorest season yet, but could now match last season’s outcome.