03/07/2024
NEWS STORY
Jack Doohan will drive Free Practice 1 on Friday in place of Pierre Gasly for his second mandatory rookie session of the season.
Esteban Ocon: Reflecting on Austria, overall, it was a positive weekend and we again showed good pace by getting the car into the final part of Qualifying, both for the Sprint and the Grand Prix. But that speed did not translate to the race, and we did not fully optimise the strategy, meaning we ultimately finished outside of the points. Last weekend again highlighted how close the grid is - particularly over a short lap like Austria - so every detail counts and makes a big difference. That is why we need to go away and review what more we could have done to put ourselves in a better position to capitalise on opportunities that present themselves, which we saw during the final laps in Spielberg. We need to analyse where we can improve and come back stronger in Silverstone.
On home soil The British Grand Prix is one of the best weekends of the year for a Formula 1 driver. The atmosphere is electric, and the fans are so knowledgeable and passionate, plus the circuit is super enjoyable to drive! It is a classic circuit with fast and flowing corners, which really test the limit of both car and driver. It is also a home race for the team, so it is a venue you always want to go well at and give staff at Enstone something to cheer about. The characteristics of the track are more similar to what we saw in Spain than in Austria. Weather also plays a part at Silverstone, so let's see what the British Summer throws up this time.
Pierre Gasly: Even though we scored for the fourth race in a row, our weekend in Austria was a mixed performance. We pushed hard for points and, in the end, we had to settle for tenth place. I think more was achievable and we will continue for excellence in every area to make sure that is the case at our next opportunity. Looking back on the race, it was a fun one out there where we had some fun battles and wheel to wheel racing. I made some good moves but I could not quite get Daniel [Ricciardo] for another position and as a result it was tenth place, one point and my 400th in Formula 1, so that is a nice milestone to reach. Hopefully there is much more to come and more to add to the collection next weekend.
Silverstone is one of the best circuits for a driver on the calendar in terms of pure driving sensations. It's fast, high-speed, a place where the car is at its limit through some of the corners and that is just so much fun at the wheel. The racing is usually exciting as there are a number of places to overtake. I will start my weekend in Free Practice 2 as I hand over driving duties to Jack Doohan for the first session. We are changing power unit elements on my car, which will bring a penalty for the Grand Prix, so this is a logical solution to ensure Jack completes his mandatory rookie outings. Even so, I look forward to seeing the feedback from Free Practice 1 before I get going and, hopefully, we can still have a good weekend performance even with the penalty setback.