Esteban Ocon names the F1 team on a ‘very upward trajectory’ giving Alpine problems

Follow us on Google Discover

Esteban Ocon feels Alpine are in for a ‘difficult’ end to the 2024 season thanks to one rival Formula 1 team being on a ‘very upward trajectory’ entering the final six rounds.

The Enstone outfit have faced a frustrating campaign this year after starting the season with F1’s slowest car. Alpine locked out the last row of the grid at the Bahrain Grand Prix and had the worst car over qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the Australian Grand Prix.

Alpine overhauled the design of their car last winter but their A524 proved to be overweight and also lacking downforce. It took Alpine until round six of 24 for the Renault-owned squad to record their first points of 2024 with Ocon finishing the Miami Grand Prix in P10 this May.

Esteban Ocon expects Williams will cause Alpine problems in the F1 constructors’ championship

Extra points-scoring results have followed for Ocon, with P10 finishes in the Canadian Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix plus his P9 finish in the Belgian Grand Prix. Teammate Pierre Gasly has outscored Ocon’s five points so far with eight from five top-10 results this season.

Alpine failing to score a point since Gasly’s third P9 finish of the year in the Dutch Grand Prix has also allowed Williams to overtake the Enstone squad in the constructors’ championship. The Grove outfit sit in eighth place ahead of the 2024 United States Grand Prix on 16 points.

READ MORE: Alpine driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Alex Albon taking P9 in the Italian Grand Prix and P7 in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, along with Franco Colapinto securing P8 in Baku, moved Williams above Alpine. Now, Ocon expects the Grove squad will continue to give Alpine problems through 2024 as Williams are on the rise.

“It’s going to be difficult, for sure,” Ocon admitted while speaking with the official Formula 1 website. “Williams are on a very upward trajectory on their side. They’ve been very quick all season and probably quicker than us most times.

“At the moment, we are ninth, obviously, in the constructors’ championship. It’s reflecting a bit on the car’s performance, unfortunately. The whole team is trying their best to try and improve the situation, but it’s going to be a tough one to try and recover.”

Esteban Ocon could have joined Williams this season and hindered Alpine himself

Had events unfolded differently over the summer, then Ocon could have joined Williams and been in a position to hinder Alpine himself. The Enstone team flung the 28-year-old onto the scrap heap in June after Alpine announced that Ocon would leave at the end of his contract.

A one-time Grand Prix winner becoming available after the 2024 season even sparked talk of possibly changing teams mid-season. Ocon was linked with a move to Williams amidst doubt for Logan Sargeant’s place, with suggestions that Alpine could consider releasing him early.

In the end, Williams stuck by Sargeant until a huge crash in FP3 for the Dutch Grand Prix and Colapinto came in from the Italian GP. The Argentine’s arrival beside Albon has now helped Williams to outdo Alpine and leave Ocon concerned about the constructors’ championship.

Ocon will now hope Alpine prove to be competitive across the final six rounds of the season, starting with the United States GP. Meanwhile, Albon has identified the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Williams’ best chance to get points in the last rounds ahead of visiting Brazil in November.