Throughout this season, Alpine driver Esteban Ocon has struggled to carry forward his qualifying pace into the main race on Sunday. However, he believes that the team have the pace to put pressure, and hopefully defeat, their rivals, Ferrari, at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

The race in Spain saw the French driver cross the line in ninth place while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished P7 and P4, respectively.

While Alpine have steadily improved this season, the Scuderia, too,  have re-gained the pace they lacked last year. But will it be enough to keep Alpine in the rearview mirrors?

Esteban Ocon believes “Alpine are in good shape” for Monaco

Speaking to RacingNews365, Ocon said, “I think we should be in good shape in Monaco.

“I think we are going to be able to perform as good [as in Spain] so I think we can give a fight to Ferrari and the other cars around them in qualifying, I’m pretty confident about that.”

“The area where we are focused in for Monaco is the race [pace]. But it’s hard to overtake so it’s less of a critical point. I think we are a bit slower than Ferrari and McLaren at the moment on pure race pace,” Ocon concluded.

The Frenchman making it into the top ten consistently

Ocon has put in quite consistent performances so far; he has made it into the top in the last three races, accumulating a total of 10 points. He has also shown amazing pace during the qualifying session and even secured a fifth-place start for the recent Spanish Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old will be looking to move up the grid and bring more crucial points for the French-based squad this season. He will set his eyes on defeating Ferrari, and potentially, McLaren.

Alpine currently sit in fifth place with just 15 points in the constructor’s championship. They would hope to bring score more points that will help them catch up to their rivals on the grid.

Based on their recent performances, where do you think the French-based team will finish in the prestigious Monaco GP at the upcoming weekend? Let us know in the comments below.

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