Ocon candid: 'When you don't know that, it's depressing and tough'

Esteban Ocon is only 26, but already among the more experienced Formula 1 drivers in the field. The Frenchman is currently in his fourth season at Alpine, where he has been joined by compatriot Pierre Gasly since this year. However, he is not yet where he wants to be with the team, he said in an interview with GPblog.

Since his F1 debut in 2016, Ocon has appeared at the start of a Grand Prix 125 times. "Time flies. There was a time when I was the youngest at everything. It's not the case anymore," the one-time race winner began. "I feel very established now in Formula 1. I've done podiums, I've scored a lot of points, I've been on the podium, and I've won a race as well," he lists. "It's awesome, obviously."

Meanwhile, Ocon has almost become part of the furniture at Enstone. Ever since he joined the then Renault in 2020, he has felt very involved in the team and the decisions made there. "I'm definitely involved in most of the discussions that there is in this team, and especially for the development of the car. It's been like that since I joined in 2020, but obviously, my voice has more weight. It’s normal," he explains.

Steering role at Alpine suits Ocon well

The word 'leader' is not mentioned, but Ocon acknowledges that he has grown in the role of the one who steers the team in the right direction. "I think it's a role that I'm definitely happy to fulfil," he says of it. "I've been working super hard since the start of my time here, in the simulator, trying to develop the car on the track, and spending time with the engineers. They've seen that following what I was saying, we are going in the right direction. It's great to see that it's working and that I don't need to change my approach."

His approach has changed in the past, he admits. "But now I have found something that has been working for many years and when I'm doing it right, I get the result that comes with it. There's nothing more rewarding than doing something, putting a lot of effort in and getting the result. That's just the best feeling in the world," Ocon continued.

"When you do that, and you don't get the result and you're not sure where to actually look into, that is depressing and tough. There are times in your sporting career that this happens, but I'm happy I'm not in that case now and that I know where I have to go," he adds.

Alpine car not yet the way Ocon wants it

Alpine's A523 does not completely feel like 'his car' at the moment. "Not yet, because there are still a lot of things to work on. Yes, we're not winning races. We’re not on the podium consistently, so no, not yet. But we are working on that, and the team is very much listening, the team is very much focused on all the details that we have to improve and that's the most important thing," Ocon concluded.

This interview was conducted by Tim Kraaij.