‘Faultless’ Esteban Ocon & Pierre Gasly Showered With Praise by Ex-Boss Otmar Szafnauer

Despite a promising end to the 2022 season, Aston Martin and ex-Alpine man Fernando Alonso became a thorn in the sights of the French team. Aston Martin’s mega jump in the grid hierarchy and Alpine’s falling off the mark with its new driver pairing perhaps led to the expulsion of Otmar Szafnauer from the team. However, despite the untimely firing, the Alpine boss was full of praise for Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.

Szafnauer did not have any regrets or face any problems while managing the two Frenchmen together, despite the various suggestions of rivalry. However, they did not let any media speculation come in the way of racing, and Szafnauer was a happy man because of that, among other aspects of managing the two.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly lived up to Szafnauer’s standards

Having managed Esteban Ocon for longer, Szafnauer could not help but convey his appreciation for a quality he showcased against two world champions, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. This quality that Szafnauer talked about during his conversation with Peter Windsor even earned him a win. Apart from that, Szafnauer also shared a positive side of Gasly in his limited time with the new French recruit.

When Windsor explained, “quite similar in overall performance,” Szafnauer affirmed, “Yeah, very! It seems like Esteban’s really good at bringing the points home when he’s in a points-scoring position, not making mistakes. He’s really good at that. I was impressed with him when he won in Budapest.” Szafnauer, who was then the team principal of Aston Martin, explained how well he handles the pressure from a chasing Vettel. “Sebastian, who was racing for me at the time [in Aston Martin], was in a faster car and behind [Ocon] the entire race, trying to make him make a mistake. And he didn’t.”

That wasn’t all, though. “I think, more impressively, Lewis [Hamilton] was behind him in a wet track in Suzuka. Lewis, in a Mercedes, in a faster car. Esteban did not let him by, did not make one error,” added Szafnauer. Ocon did not put a foot wrong on both occasions and was faultless, which impressed Szafnauer. He then talked about Gasly. “In qualifying, he can be blistering fast,” a statement even Windsor agreed with.

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This statement reinstates the racing prowess of the two Alpine men, who were predicted not to get along well at the start of the season. Many believed their history would come in the way and we would see a civil war. However, not only did the two keep the said rivalry aside, they did not even react in a situation that could’ve sparked their rivalry.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly showcased a very mature side after the Australian GP crash

The 2023 Australian GP was the first incident-filled race of the season. After the second red flag restart, the two Alpine men collided while running in points-scoring positions and ended each other’s race. However, despite turning on each other, as many predicted, the two showcased a very mature side and owned up to their mistakes.

Szafnauer revealed, “Well, they each apologized, so they each thought they played a role in it. It was just chaos out there; had Pierre not gone wide in Turn 1 – but a lot of people did – then I think he would have been further up the road. Esteban, at the same time, just followed [Yuki] Tsunoda through on the racing line and Pierre didn’t see him and came over to the racing line and just hit him. Which is… unfortunate.”

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The two Frenchmen are slowly yet surely feeling at home in Alpine, especially keeping in mind Gasly’s second half. Let’s see how far they can push the team in the midfield battle in 2024.