Esteban Okon: We know what to do

In Jeddah, Esteban Okon scored the first points of the season and in Melbourne he is ready to consolidate his success, as last year he finished this race in seventh …

Q: How do you rate the team’s performance in Jeddah?
Esteban Ocon: It was important to calmly and confidently spend the weekend and earn points on Sunday with two cars. We solved both problems and probably got the maximum possible result that weekend.

We see that we are moving in the right direction, but not yet in the form we expected. I know that the team on the track and all personnel at our bases are doing everything they can to compete against our closest rivals. We keep working and trying to understand how and where we can improve – every tenth is important this year.

Question: How hard do you and the team work between phases?
Esteban OconA: We know what we need to do to close the gap. We still have a lot to learn, but after testing and the first two races we have done a joint analysis, clearly identifying areas where we need to improve.

Last week in Enstone I worked on the simulator and talked to engineers from different departments. I am happy with the plans of the team, new items will be ready soon. Now we are focused on the coming weekend, in Melbourne it is important to earn points again with two cars.

Q: What do you think of the Australian Grand Prix?
Esteban Ocon: The Australian stage is one of the favorites of riders and teams. There is always a special atmosphere during the race weekend in Melbourne, we receive a very warm welcome. It is well worth the long journey and the long jet lag!

The configuration of the track in Albert Park is quite interesting. Last year’s changes have made it even better in my opinion, increasing the overtaking opportunities. It’s still a tough track, both technically and physically, with lots of directional changes at low and high speeds.

When tuning cars, it is important to ensure braking stability, the ability to actively attack curbs and good handling. It is good that we have had a week to recover and prepare. Now that the team is back to work, we look forward to starting the weekend in Melbourne.