Oliver Oakes reveals ‘slightly disappointed’ Sao Paulo Grand Prix moment despite Alpine double-podium

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Alpine’s double podium in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix enabled them to leapfrog three teams in the Constructors’ Championship battle.

After Esteban Ocon managed to qualify in fourth place and Pierre Gasly recovered from P14 on the grid, the team elected to keep their drivers out on track as the rain hit the track 25 laps into the race.

Teams were wary of the impending threat midway through the Grand Prix, which increased when the start was delayed by a few minutes as they recovered Lance Stroll’s stricken Aston Martin.

When the rain did hit the track, most drivers decided to pit for new Intermediates but Alpine kept their drivers out along with Max Verstappen under the impression the heavy rain would be brief.

Ocon took the lead when both George Russell and Lando Norris pitted for new Intermediates, and were handed a lifeline when the race was red-flagged due to Franco Colapinto crashing on the start/finish straight.

Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has recalled a moment during the race that left him ‘slightly disappointed’ when speaking on the F1 Nation podcast.

Oliver Oakes recalls the moment that left him ‘slightly disappointed’ in Sao Paulo GP

Ocon was able to initially pull away from Verstappen when they restarted after the red flag, but after the restart following another Safety Car, the Dutchman managed to comfortably pass the Frenchman.

Oakes was left ‘slightly disappointed’ by the moment Verstappen breezed past his driver, but remembered that it was still an achievement to score the double podium.

“I was slightly disappointed when Max breezed past, I’m not going to lie! People will say ‘Oh, you need a reality check’ but you do this job because you want to win. I joked with Sam that nobody likes to walk to the back of the grid and obviously these past few weekends we’ve moved forward,” said Oakes.

“But there were moments I thought ‘Ok, we can do this’ but you have to also say that Max was phenomenal. In those conditions, he is at another level and nobody can take it away from him that was a championship drive, but on my side I’m really proud of Pierre and Esteban. They soaked up the pressure and actually had pace, it was just Max who had the legs on us.”

Alpine double podium could bring in millions in prize money

The sensational double podium has provided a big boost for Alpine, not least because it enabled them to jump three places in the Constructors’ Championship which could make a £23 million in prize money difference.

It was telling that there was more elation in Alpine’s garage considering what has been going on in the background at the team, with various senior management changes in the last 18 months and the axing of their engine project by parent company Renault.

READ MORE: Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon share ‘beautiful’ childhood story after Sao Paulo Grand Prix podiums

Executive advisor, Flavio Briatore, spoke to Italian media after the race and shared how much it could be worth to the manufacturer at the end of the season.

Alpine currently sits sixth in the Constructors’ Championship and is three points ahead of Haas, having previously only just been a few points ahead of Sauber.