Ocon and Gasly hail ‘fantastic’ double podium Alpine glory

In a stunning turn of events, Alpine secured a historic double podium finish in Sunday’s dramatic Sao Paulo Grand Prix thanks to Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly both delivering a masterful and flawless performance in the race’s treacherous wet conditions.

The achievement marks a much-needed bright spot in an otherwise difficult season for Alpine and will hopefully prove to be a turning point for the Enstone squad.

Interlagos’ rain-soaked track leveled the playing field, allowing Ocon and Gasly to showcase their skills and capitalize on the opportunities that unfolded, ultimately carrying the pair to second and third in the running order behind an imperial Max Verstappen.

Ocon, who led for a portion of the race after a restart paid tribute to the famous words of Brazilian racing icon Ayrton Senna, who once remarked that “you cannot overtake 15 cars in sunny weather, but you can when it’s raining.”

“What a day that was!” said the Frenchman, quoted by Motorsport.com. "After the difficult season, it's really nice to be driving around here and having the performance a bit levelled out because of the rain.

• Read also: São Paulo GP: Verstappen triumphs in rain-hit Brazil thriller

“Someone very important to all of us said a long time ago that in the rain the cars are almost equal, and that phrase didn't age at all.”
Ocon, who is known for his skill in wet conditions, seized the opportunity to push his car to its limits in a race where fortune finally favored the brave.

“I'm very happy to be on the podium. I think it's been awesome,” he added. “The car was extremely difficult in the dry and I was really at ease when it started to rain this morning and last night.

“I already wanted to get some laps in the rain. I love it here when it rains and today has brought a special race for us.”

Gasly, equally thrilled, highlighted how unimaginable a double-podium had seemed for Alpine even just a few races ago.

The fiercely determined Frenchman raced with everything he had, securing third place and outpacing George Russell’s Mercedes to help bring home a massive haul of points for the team.

“It’s incredible for the whole team,” Gasly said. “We have had such a tough season, we’ve struggled to score points. And in these conditions, everything was possible.

“But we did not believe it until the end – two cars on the podium.” Beaming with pride, he added, “I don’t think anyone would have got that on their bingo card! It’s just fantastic.”

In a race filled with obstacles, from aborted starts to a virtual safety car and a red flag, Alpine’s resilience and grit shone through.

Gasly’s words captured the spirit of a team that has fought through countless setbacks this season, making their double-podium finish all the more rewarding.

“I'm absolutely buzzing right now,” he continued. “I'm just so proud of the team. To overcome such a tough season.

“It would have been too easy to give up, but we never gave up. And here we are, both cars, P2 and P3 and a lot of points for the team. Everybody should be very proud today.”

Adding a cherry on top of Alpine’s Sunday, the result has propelled the French outfit back to sicth in F1’s Constructors’ standings, three points and five points ahead of Haas and RB respectively.

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