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The surprise of the year, the presence of Alpine F1’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly on the Interlagos GP podium, catapulted the team from 9th to 6th place in the constructors’ championship. Which translates into a huge money gap at the end of the season – if he manages to stay in that position.
Ocon and Gasly drove exemplary in the alternating rainy conditions of the Brazilian GP, while also seeing their risk of not pitting until the 30th lap of the race pay off when the race was stopped due to Franco Colapinto’s accident.
The stoppage allowed both Frenchmen, as well as winner Max Verstappen, to change tires without having to make a pit stop, thus retaining the 1st and 3rd positions they held at the time of the stoppage.
When the race restarted Ocon impressively held on to first place from Verstappen, but a new safety car allowed the Dutchman to close the 3.3″ gap the Frenchman had built up, and on the restart to pass him for first – and finally the victory.
But despite being trailed by faster cars, Ocon and Gasly held on to 2nd and 3rd place and made the podium. As a result, the team collected a whopping 33 points, rising from 9th to 6th in the standings in one afternoon – passing Haas, RB and Williams.
The difference from 9th to 6th in the constructors’ championship, at the end of the season, means $30 million (€27.5 million) more.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (left) and Pierre Gasly on the 2024 Brazilian GP podium
MCH PHOTO / ALPINE MEDIA
At the same time, this result is a very important first sample of writing of the new director of Alpine F1, the youngest director of F1, Oliver Oakes.
“For me, it’s just a great result for the team, for everyone on facilities of Enstone and of Viry, it means a lot to them and I give them credit. Eit is a great achievement after the last two years which we had“, Oakes said.
“This helps us maintain confidence in the team. ORit was very difficult to evolve the single seater, in particular in duration of the season. In Austin,however,expressed my appreciation for the fact that we improved performanceor of car, and it was nice where the confirmawith with grades in Mexico. And here we see further improvement. This it definitely helps.
The drivers did not make a single mistake, in difficult conditions. And also, the strategy, the our decisionseverything they went perfectly. It was a good day”Oakes concluded.
Gasli, for his part, emphasized: “I think we can be very proud of the way we pushed the team forward. It was difficult, but we always tried to steer the team in the right direction and not give up.
And on a day like this, even when the car wasn’t up to our performance for most of the season, everyone tried to give their best and it was just a historic day for the team. I am very proud of everyone those who contributed to this”concluded the Frenchman.
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