At the previous round in Austria, Esteban Ocon finished fifth, his best result of the season so far, and at his home Grand Prix, the French Alpine F1 driver hopes to continue his string of successful performances.
Q: Your 100th Grand Prix was very successful – how do you remember the race in Austria?
Esteban Okon: The Austrian weekend was very positive, we earned a lot of points in the sprint on Saturday and in the main race on Sunday. Our team continues to make progress, also thanks to the effective technical innovations introduced in recent stages.
Admittedly, we had some reliability issues in the last two races, but the team is working hard to resolve them so that the second half of the season goes more smoothly. In any case, I am confidently preparing for my home race and I hope that we will put on a spectacular show for the fans.
Q: The French Grand Prix is the home stage for the Alpine team and for you. Do you feel more pressure when you play in your home country?
Esteban Okon: I wouldn’t say it. The schedule turns out to be really close, there’s a lot to do before the race, and in general there are more than usual on all days of the weekend, but this is also fun in its own way.
There is little that can match the performance at home for passionate French fans, especially this weekend at the track in Le Castellet will be my personal stand. This is happening for the first time – my dream is coming true!
I know the atmosphere on this stage will be incredible and generally all tickets for the Grand Prix have already been sold. It doesn’t seem to me that this increased focus on the days of the home phase increases the pressure, but we need to talk about extra motivation.
I want the French fans to have a reason to be proud at all the races with my participation, but especially at the French Grand Prix. Only a few riders are lucky enough to compete in their home country, so I plan to enjoy every minute of this weekend.
Q: What can you say about the Paul Ricard circuit?
Esteban Okon: We all learned this circuit well and when we return to Le Castellet I always experience a special emotion. This track is distinguished by the well-known combination of fast straights and complex combinations, consisting of slow and medium-high turns.
The slow section for the straight of Mistral is quite narrow and requires a flexible approach to machine setup. In addition, there is a faster and more technical section that starts from the Signes corner and continues until the last corner of the lap, and the tires work there with increased load. At this track it is important to have good qualifying and set up the car well for the race – these are important success factors.
I had a great rest after the round in Austria, so now I’m ready to get behind the wheel of the A522 again and work on my home Grand Prix.
Source: F1 News
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