Alpine to supply Ocon with updated floor for Miami GP

Alpine has confirmed that Esteban Ocon will have an updated floor on his A522 in Miami which will bring the Frenchman on a par with Fernando Alonso who ran the new element at Imola.

Unfortunately, Alonso wasn't able to capitalize on the upgrade, having been forced to retire from the race following an opening lap contact with Mick Schumacher.

But Alpine was satisfied overall with the performance of the Spaniard's car equipped with the new floor during the Emilia Romagna GP weekend, and has subsequently decided to implement the change on Ocon's A522.

"The upgrades we brought to the A522 worked as expected in Imola, which is a great sign that the hard work behind the scenes at the factory is paying off, especially in developing and validating these aerodynamic updates," commented Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer.

"As a result of those efforts, the new spec floor we had on Fernando’s car will be on both cars this weekend.

• Read also: Szafnauer says Alpine must focus on improving race pace

"Although Fernando’s floor suffered significant damage in the race because of the first lap incident with Mick, we were able to recover the part and make the necessary repairs.

"It’s great that both cars have the upgrade, which performed to expectations. There’s more to come in the coming races in this very important and intense development race."

A top-ten finishes in the first three races of 2022, Ocon could do no better than P14 at Imola. But the Frenchman is determined to resume his points-scoring ways in Miami.

"Imola was a frustrating weekend for the team," he said. "It is clear that there are areas we must improve on.

"The first three races were good for me and not being in the points in Italy will serve as further motivation for everyone to bounce back in Miami.

"The whole team is looking forward to it and we know if we do things right, we will be able to extract the potential we know this car has, and deliver the results we are capable of.

"From my side, I have prepared well in the simulator and have discussed with the team how to best approach this new track.

"Driving a new circuit is always exhilarating because you don’t really know what to expect until you’re driving there.

"But the approach and preparation remain the same as for all other race weekends."

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