Esteban Ocon: We have problems because of the bumps on the track

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly showed the fourteenth and fifteenth fastest times respectively in the second training session at Imola. The Alpine drivers assessed the opposite on Friday: Esteban complained about the car’s poor handling due to bumps, while his teammate assessed his chances in qualifying positively.

Esteban Ocon (14th): “Not the easiest start to the weekend. The last time we came to this circuit was in 2022, and since then a lot has changed and the asphalt has become very bumpy.

I think we made good progress in the second practice compared to the first, but now it’s important to make sure we get the most out of the car tomorrow. We always strive forward, but now it is difficult to qualify for the qualifying final.

I don’t want to rush into predictions – now it’s important to focus on solving the problems we encountered on this track. They are quite serious, so let’s see what positions we are in. The car is difficult to control on bumps and the track at Imola is almost entirely bumpy, and that is why we are having problems.”

Pierre Gasly (15th): “Good Friday. We tested several solutions and achieved quite positive results. From the first laps I felt more comfortable in the car than before, and in the second practice I was able to attack straight away because the car behaved more stable.

I attacked harder and harder and at one point I went over the limit. Overall we learned a lot.

I’m not too worried about the pace as I haven’t been able to get a perfect lap on the Soft due to traffic. We can participate on Saturday. Overall a good Friday.”