“We Are Not at the Level of Our Competitors”: Esteban Ocon Slaps Alpine With Brutal Reality Check to Remind Them of “Ambitious” Goals

For a team that finished 4th in the Constructors’ championship in 2022, Alpine’s 2023 performance has been dismal. They had a slow start to the 2023 season but made a quick recovery. The vibes in the team changed following an impressive performance at Monaco. But Esteban Ocon has come forward and given a reality check to the team.

The best that Alpine did before the Monaco GP was 6 points in Saudi Arabia and the same in Miami. But Monaco was a turnaround point for them. Esteban Ocon found himself on the podium and his teammate, Pierre Gasly secured a well-fought P7. The team earned 21 points owing to that race. Despite the change in pace for the team, Ocon feels Alpine is still away from its original target.

Following the Monaco GP, Ocon acknowledged that the start of their season was below par. Ocon said, as quoted by Motorsportweek, “We can be proud of how the team has bounced back following a difficult start to the season, which we know was below our expectations.” Though Gasly lost places because of the team’s strategic errors, he appreciated the Enstone Outfit’s performance.

Though Gasly believes that they can compete against Aston Martin, Ocon is of the contrary view. He said, “We know that we are not at the level of our competitors in front, so it is something that we are addressing, as we still want to achieve the ambitious targets we have set ourselves at the beginning of the year.”

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Though Alpine might be lagging compared to their ambitious targets, Ocon believes they are closer to fighting Ferrari.

Esteban Ocon Believes Alpine Can Compete With Ferrari

Alpine has gotten faster and Ferrari has taken a step despite their latest upgrades. Ahead of the Canadian GP, in an interview with motorsport.next-genauto, Carlos Sainz said, “I think Alpine is about to join us. I think they are very close to joining the battle.” Though Esteban Ocon feels that Alpine is yet to achieve its expected goals, he agreed with Sainz’s words.

The Frenchman said, “We are not ahead of them, but we are closer than we were. That’s good news.” The Enstone Outfit has 2 F1 Grand Prix winners occupying the driver seats. All Alpine needs to do now is provide them with a car that can match Aston Martin and Mercedes.

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Alpine’s next opportunity to achieve its original targets is at the Canadian GP. Montreal’s challenging track can prove to be an obstacle, but they are going to have to give it their all if they are to progress in the WDC.