Ocon sees tough road ahead for Alpine to recoup P7 from Williams

Esteban Ocon says Alpine will give it its all to try and recoup eighth position from Williams in F1’s Constructors standings, but in a season fraught with issues, the French outfit is facing a difficult task.

A double top-ten finish for the British team in Azerbaijan, where Alpine put no points on the board, allowed Williams to overhaul its rival by three points with six races to go.

In contrast, Alpine has failed to score in the last three races, making their fight to move up the standings even harder.

Speaking in Singapore last time out, Ocon acknowledged Williams’ strong performance and their upward trajectory.

“It’s going to be difficult, for sure,” the 28-year-old said. “Williams are on a very upward trajectory on their side. They’ve been very quick all season and probably quicker than us most times.

“At the moment, we are ninth obviously in the constructors’ championship. It’s reflecting a bit on the car’s performance unfortunately.

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"The whole team is trying their best to try and improve the situation, but it’s going to be a tough one to try and recover.

“We haven't given up, obviously. We are giving our best until the end of the year.”

After a four-year tenure with the Enstone squad, Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of the season to open a new chapter of his career in F1 with Haas. The 28-year-old admitted that it’s been a tough final year with ‘les bleus’.

“It’s been full of problems and issues, and we just want to be able to build something good and get some fun at the wheel for me, which is the most important [thing] and something I didn’t have for a while,” he said.

As he nears the end of his five-year stint with Alpine, Ocon remains determined to finish on a high note, despite the difficult season.

“Even if it’s been difficult, I’m not giving up,” he explained. “I still want to finish the chapter with this team on a high. It hasn’t gone the way I would’ve liked.

“At the moment it’s a pretty sad end, unfortunately, but hopefully we can catch things up and be on the better end for the remainder of the season.”

Ocon currently sits 18th in the Drivers' Championship with five points, while his teammate, Pierre Gasly, holds 15th place with eight points. With the clock ticking on the 2024 season, Alpine faces a steep climb in the final six races to salvage their campaign.

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