Alpine shows two faces in Las Vegas: While Pierre Gasly achieves third place with an aggressive setup, teammate Esteban Ocon struggles with problems
Pierre Gasly surprisingly took third place on the grid with an aggressive set-up, making it into the top 3 in qualifying for the first time in his Formula 1 career. On the other hand, team-mate Esteban Ocon continued to struggle and was knocked out in Q2 in eleventh place, despite identical material.
Low-downforce set-up: Alpine as swift as an arrow on the straights
“We opted for very little downforce, which gives us an advantage on the straights but makes the corners much more difficult,” explained Gasly after qualifying. The cold temperatures and difficult track conditions in particular increased the level of difficulty. Nevertheless, Gasly managed to put in an outstanding lap in Q3.
Sky expert Timo Glock praised the performance as “outstanding”, especially considering that Alpine is not known for its powerful engine, which is actually needed on the long straights in Las Vegas. Gasly himself describes his last Q3 lap as “special”.
Ocon puzzles: Lose up to seven tenths per lap
While Gasly is beaming, Esteban Ocon is visibly disappointed after qualifying. The Frenchman is once again experiencing the same problems that have been plaguing him since the United States Grand Prix in Austin: “Since Austin, we’ve been losing between half a tenth and seven tenths per lap,” he says.
The difference is particularly noticeable in slow corners: while Gasly can make optimal use of the grip, Ocon suffers from wheelspin. “I lack the minimum speed in the corners and I lose a lot of time accelerating out of them,” he explains.
The differences between the two Alpine drivers raise questions. While Gasly was able to master the difficult set-up, Ocon seems to be unable to cope with the same technical conditions. According to Ocon, however, the problem is not a lack of commitment: “The whole crew is working to solve the problems. But so far we haven’t been able to make a lasting improvement.”
Switch to Haas: Ocon hopes to still be treated fairly
The discrepancy between the drivers is also interesting in that Ocon will leave the team at the end of the season, while Gasly has extended his contract. Ocon emphasizes that he continues to give his best for the team, but makes it clear that he hopes for fairness: “I hope I’m treated fairly. I’m giving everything for the team.”
Gasly, on the other hand, seems to be in a better position to benefit from the latest developments. The update package that Alpine has been using since Austin seems to have a greater impact on his driving style. Only in wet conditions on race Sunday in Brazil did Ocon seem to harmonize with the latest developments; in the dry, he lacks confidence.
After Brazil: Alpine on course for another podium finish?
For the race, Gasly hopes to convert his good starting position into points: “It will depend on how the tires degrade,” he explains. Ocon also sees his chance here: “If tire degradation becomes more important than pure pace, we could work our way forward.”
But after the double podium in Brazil and now third place on the grid, Gasly doesn’t want to dream too much either: “I think we know where the goal is for us. We are fighting Haas and Racing Bulls in the constructors’ championship. It’s a good feeling to be ahead of Max [Verstappen] and McLaren and those guys. But at the end of the day, it’s not our fight.”
With the Austin update, Alpine now seems to have turned a corner, while leading the midfield in terms of performance, which is astonishing for Gasly given the weak start to the season: “We started in Bahrain with both cars from the last row and in the last few weeks that has suddenly changed.”
“I’m really happy and satisfied with the work the team has done in a season when everything seemed impossible, just to stick together and get more performance out of the car. I have to admit that before today’s qualifying, we never thought we would be able to get into the top three, but yes, I did it.”