24/07/2024
NEWS STORY
Esteban Ocon: The weekend in Hungary was a tough one for the whole team. We missed the mark by not going out for a final run in Qualifying, which put us on the back foot, and then the race was difficult with tyre management and not optimising the strategy. It is frustrating as a team to know that we could have done better but it is always easiest to see where we went wrong in hindsight. We have a lot to analyse and debrief on from the weekend, but we are working together to pinpoint and iron out any issues as we head to Belgium with the hope to finish on a high before the summer break.
After racing in Formula 1 for a number of years, it is still an incredible feeling to be racing at Circuit Spa-Francorchamps where I made my Formula 1 debut back in 2016. It is a classic track and the longest on the calendar, which makes it a unique test for us drivers with its long straights and variety of corners. The weather always comes into play in Belgium especially considering the size of the track and how conditions can vary from one section of the circuit to another. This means that strategy will be key for the race, and we need to work as one to make the right calls and have a successful weekend.
Esteban qualified third on the grid at the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, tying his career best qualifying performance, which he equalled again when he claimed third on the grid for BWT Alpine F1 Team at the 2023 Monaco GP.
Pierre Gasly: Budapest proved to be a very frustrating weekend all round. As a team, there are definite lessons that we must take on board and understand moving forward, particularly the recurring issues which need to be resolved. For me, it's made even more disappointing because the first half of the race was going to plan, and we were on target for a good result. Of course, you never know how the race will pan out, but it was looking positive, especially after the Pit Lane start. I know everyone is committed to improving following two challenging events in a row. I trust my Team, and know that everyone is pushing to avoid the same mistakes to happen again in the future.
We are aiming for a much better weekend in Spa to see us into the summer shutdown. We went well last year, finishing third in the Sprint, which was an amazing result. It's a standard weekend format this time around and after the tough previous events, we are incredibly determined to perform the best we can. I love racing this track, it's one of my favourites, but the feelings I have here are always going to be contrasting. The first half of 2024 has been difficult for everyone, at the factory and at the track, but we're in a much better place than we were in Bahrain, and we can improve more.
Last year's Belgian Grand Prix was a sprint weekend, and Pierre finished third in the sprint race, the first of what turned out to be top three results on consecutive race weekends, as he went on to finish on the podium at the Dutch Grand Prix.