F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Ocon: We'll hang that tyre on the wall in the factory!

Esteban Ocon's Turkish Grand Prix was all about tyre management which the Alpine driver pushed to the extreme on Sunday by running his entire race on a single set of intermediate tyres and scoring a point for good measure.

Istanbul Park's soggy conditions warranted a start on the intermediate tyre for F1's field. But while a dry line faintly appeared as the race unfolded, intermittent light drizzles meant that Pirelli's inters remained the rubber of choice for the duration of the event.

Ahead of Sunday's round of racing, Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola had warned teams of the risk of running 58 laps on a single set of inters.

"Going for the whole race on the intermediates though was not what we would advise, and in fact we alerted some teams to the potential risk of doing that," said Isola.

However, Ocon pressed on, but the Alpine driver's worn-to-the-bone right front tyre was a sorry sight at the end of the day in Parc Fermé.

Ocon's non-stop run – the first in a non-red flagged race since Mika Salo's single stint in Monaco in 1997 – nevertheless delivered a championship point to the Frenchman and his team.

"I don't know when is the last time that nobody had a pitstop," said Ocon. "It was a risk today that we took. It paid off in the end because we got a point out of it.

"It doesn't look great in the end, that tyre! I think we'll hang it on the wall in the factory. It's good because, as I said, it paid off."

From the outset, Ocon was in constant communication with his team regarding his tyre management in the tricky conditions, and admitted that he drew upon his experience in last years' race in Turkey when a spin in the early stages compelled him to switch tyres and undergo a single stint to the checkered flag on the inters.

"There was a lot of discussion, but in my head it was pretty clear that we had to try and get something out of that, because last year I had the incident in the first lap, and basically from there on I drove on intermediates the whole race as well," he explained.

"So I thought if last year was the case, maybe this year we could do the same, and this year we did one more lap then that, so it was good."

While obviously happy with the outcome, Ocon admitted that he was likely one lap away, or perhaps less, from an unmitigated disaster.

"It was tricky at the end, a couple more corners I would’ve lost that point," he said. "It’s good to have a reward in the end, I’m pretty pleased to get that point for everybody.

“One more lap, I think we would’ve got a puncture. It was a risky bet. We made it work today.

"It’s not the best weekend for us, clearly. That one point probably saves it a bit, but we have some work to do to come back to the level of performance we had a couple of races ago.

"We need to keep on top of that for Austin."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Marko: ‘No chance at all’ for Red Bull in Las Vegas

Helmut Marko believes that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are unlikely to challenge for victory…

1 hour ago

GM revives bid to join F1 with accelerated talks for 2026 entry

Automotive giant General Motors is reportedly back in the game as a potential entrant in…

3 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Thursday's action in pictures

The opening day of running at the Las Vegas GP was a smooth but chilly…

4 hours ago

Williams' headaches persist into Vegas practice

Williams is continuing to fight uphill battles this weekend in Las Vegas as a knock-on…

5 hours ago

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

6 hours ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

7 hours ago