Alpine is having a rotter of an F1 season. In 2021, they finished P5 in the Constructors’ standings only to improve further in 2022 to finish P4. But the trajectory that should have continued to go up has turned downwards. At best, they can hold their current position this year, which is P6. As F1 makes its way to Singapore, the French team has a lot to prove to themselves, if not others. At such a time, Esteban Ocon has given a not-so-good update on the team’s progress.

The Enstone outfit brought a couple of updates to their A523, including changes to the sidepod and a part of the rear wing. These upgrades have been installed keeping in mind the demanding nature of the Marina Bay circuit. Yet, the best that Ocon could manage on Friday was P10 in FP1 and a humbling P13 in FP2.

After the practice sessions, Ocon said, as quoted by Formula Passion, “It’s nice to get back to driving on the roads of Singapore, a really fresh and stimulating track for us drivers. It was a decent and very hot Friday for us, with several things to analyze on track during our practice program. Firstly, it was good to drive here and experience the slightly different layout of the track and test some of the updates on our car.”

Once he was done talking about the track, he shifted to the more important aspect, which was racing. “At this point, I would say that we have a lot of work to do ahead of Free Practice 3 and tomorrow’s Qualifying to find some improvements. We still have a lot to improve. And I can do it too, and hopefully, we can put ourselves in a good position for qualifying.” [translated via Google]

Read More: What Changes Have Been Brought to the Marina Bay Circuit? How Will It Make the Singapore GP More Exciting?

So far, the upgrades don’t seem to be having much of an impact on their performance. His teammate, Pierre Gasly was of the same opinion.

Echoing Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly entails task on Alpine’s hands before the Singapore GP

In the Drivers’ championship, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, though 2 positions apart, share a 1-point difference. So, it’s not about the drivers messing up but their car lacking some pace. While Ocon managed a P10 and P13, Gasly was slower with a P12 and P18 in FP1 and FP2, respectively. Gasly too acknowledged that Alpine has work to do after the grueling time on track on Friday.

“On track, it’s been a busy day with lots of different items to get through,” Gasly said after FP2. “We have a couple of small updates on the car. So it was important to spend some time validating those from an aerodynamic point of view. In terms of our performance, I would say we have some work to do. We have a lot of things to look at on set-up and some things we can definitely improve ahead of tomorrow.”

Will Alpine be able to do something magical in Qualifying today? Or will it be a repeat of the mediocrity being served this year? Watch this space for more.

WATCH THIS STORY | “You Wonder How They Got in There”: Gasly Slams Ferrari Fans for Invading Privacy, Months After Shocking Leclerc Incident