Esteban Ocon, Alpine (P10, 1 pt): 7.5/10
Alpine looked in such disarray at the start of the season that to see them record their second consecutive double points finish this weekend is a genuine surprise, but a welcome one at that, boding well for the next outings in Spielberg and Silverstone. However Ocon won't be happy to have been somewhat in the shade of his team mate and frenemy Pierre Gasly in FP2, and then again in qualifying. Gasly kept the advantage over Ocon throughout the entire race, with Sergio Perez acting as a buffer between them on track for the last 16 laps until the Red Bull finally managed to pass Gasly on the last lap, but Ocon succeeded in holding off Nico Hulkenberg leaving the Alpines running to the line in formation - and in the points.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine (P9, 2 pts): 8.5/10
Things are looking up for Pierre Gasly after those dark times at the start of the season. Not only is the Alpine showing promising signs of improved pace, but Gasly is now the de facto team leader after the news that Ocon will leave Enstone at the end of the year, and he's outclassing his compatriot on the track more often than not. His fourth place in second practice on Friday was an eye-catching moment, and he and Ocon outperformed expectations in qualifying to lock out the fourth row of the grid well inside the top ten. Gasly maintained seventh place at the start until finally challenged by Oscar Piastri, and he then followed the McLaren for the rest of the afternoon until ambushed by Sergio Perez in the much faster Red Bull on the final lap. "We almost had P8 and only missed out on the last lap, but I gave it my all. I'm happy with such a strong race where we battled two fast cars."
