Team Alpine in the Austrian sprint was represented only by Esteban Okon, who earned three points for sixth place. His teammate Fernando Alonso did not start due to electrical problems. After the finish, there were also technical problems with Okon’s car – the driver had to stop on the return lap to the pits.
Esteban Ocon (6th): “I’m definitely happy with sixth place in the sprint. I had a good start and kept my position ahead of Kevin Magnussen and then built up a good lead over the Haas drivers. George Russell in the Mercedes was very fast for us, but now I feel like I’ve maxed out, earned points and secured a good starting position at the start of the race.
If the sprint had lasted a lap longer, it could have ended differently. On the return lap I had to stop the car at the first corner. The team will find out what happened, I’m sure we’ll be ready tomorrow.”
Fernando Alonso (didn’t start): “It’s a shame we didn’t manage to start in the sprint. On the starting grid, we couldn’t start the car, so we rolled it into the pit lane, but even the external battery didn’t help, so we had to get out.
Apparently the problem has to do with the electricity – the team finds out the exact reasons. Unfortunately, despite the competitive level this season, I am plagued with setbacks. I hope luck is on our side tomorrow. Let’s see what we can do in the race.”
Otmar Safnauer, Team Principal: “Unfortunately today’s sprint didn’t live up to our expectations – we couldn’t take advantage of a good performance in qualifying. Sixth place at the start of tomorrow’s race is a good result for Esteban, but we are disappointed that we didn’t even give Fernando the chance to start in the sprint.
Apparently there were problems with his car’s electricity – the A522 wouldn’t start on the grid, in the pit lane and in the pits. We will find out the reason and we have options for tomorrow’s race.
Esteban showed a good pace and we got useful information about the work of the tires. We will take this information into account when developing a strategy. Nothing has been lost yet. Esteban has a good chance of earning a lot of points tomorrow, and you can never say never to Fernando. I’m sure he will attack to finish in the top ten.”
Source: F1 News
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