Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Preview – Alpine

Esteban Ocon got here away with an enormous end in Las Vegas after a weekend full of combined feelings. From an unlucky incident in Observe to exiting in Q1, the Frenchman brushed these frustrations apart to say an excellent fourth place with 12 factors scored. Now Esteban prepares for the season finale in Abu Dhabi the place he goals to push to the very finish.

It was an unimaginable restoration from sixteenth to fourth in Las Vegas to attain 12 factors, how do you replicate on the rollercoaster weekend?
Esteban Ocon: To be racing in such an iconic metropolis was a surreal expertise. Effectively accomplished once more to the organisers on placing up an occasion of such magnitude. For us, it was a weekend with a number of feelings, from the lows of our Observe incident, adopted by the end result in Qualifying, to the excessive of our race end in fourth place; it was definitely a rollercoaster. On Saturday night time, we did effectively to keep away from the chaos initially after which managed to place collectively two good stints, taken care of the tyres effectively and maintained aggressive tempo till the chequered flag. We’re all very happy with this end result and it is one we deserve. After the rostrum in Monaco, that is my second finest end result this season and I’m very pleased for the group and thank them for his or her continued exhausting work. Total, it was an encouraging weekend for the us in Las Vegas the place we had a aggressive automobile each in Qualifying and within the Race. Nonetheless, there are lots of issues to analyse from our efficiency as a group earlier than our sights rapidly set on Abu Dhabi, the ultimate race of the season.

How are you feeling forward of the season finale in Abu Dhabi?
EO: It is positively been a protracted and intense season for everybody and I do know we’re wanting ahead to the time without work to relaxation and get better forward of subsequent 12 months. Our full focus is now on performing effectively this weekend, carrying the momentum by way of from Las Vegas, and ending the season on a excessive. The Yas Marina Circuit is a monitor we get pleasure from and know effectively. After all, I will be sitting out of FP1 this weekend as Jack [Doohan] will likely be within the automobile and I’m positive he’ll do a fantastic job. We’re all motivated to have one other optimistic weekend, wanting to finish on a excessive word and provides some further enhance to everybody in the course of the winter season. We’ll preserve our heads down this weekend and give attention to ourselves as we intention for a clean weekend and to finish the season with extra factors within the bag.

It was a disappointing finish end result for Pierre Gasly in Las Vegas. After lining up on the second row of the grid, it was all pointing in the proper course for the Frenchman to come back away with an enormous haul of factors. Pierre is set to bounce again in Abu Dhabi, the season finale, the place he targets a optimistic finish to the 12 months in his maiden season in Alpine colors.

How do you assess the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend?
Pierre Gasly: It was a disappointing finish for me and it is all the time irritating to not rating factors. It is made much more bitter by the actual fact we had been effectively in competition for good factors for many of the race. Usually, it was a really busy weekend. Via Observe, a number of my operating centred round some take a look at objects for 2024, which is vital work to undergo. By Qualifying, the automobile felt in a very good place and it was superior to qualify in fifth place after which line-up on the second row for the race. The primary stint was strong sufficient to stay within the prime 5 hunt, however then, my stint on Hards was actually tough. The tyres grained and it proved an excessive amount of to even be within the factors. Now we have a lot to evaluate however, as a group, clearly the efficiency was there with Esteban’s fourth place end. There are positives to take and it is vital we continue learning and preserve making use of what we discover to be able to enhance. By way of the occasion, I have to say, it was a really cool expertise to be racing in Las Vegas. Congratulations to everybody concerned for making it occur and I am positive future races will likely be even greater and higher!

What’s the outlook for Abu Dhabi?
PG: It’s now time for the ultimate race of the season, which looks like it has come by in a flash. I am positively feeling excited for it after what has been a protracted season, and a busy couple of weeks with the triple header adopted by Las Vegas. We’re again to a traditional monitor with regular timings and a typical weekend format. It is a monitor everyone knows effectively and hopefully there will not be too many surprises. The goal is fairly easy. We intention to complete the season contained in the factors to maximise our tally for the 12 months. After a few days relaxation and determining the time zones, I am wanting ahead to Friday and starting the weekend in the absolute best means.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Factfile

• The 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would be the twelfth time a Formulation 1 season finale has been held at Yas Marina Circuit that means the monitor will overtake Adelaide because the circuit which has hosted essentially the most season ending Formulation 1 races.

• Primarily based on its 14-year historical past on the Formulation 1 calendar, there’s a 36% probability of a security automobile on the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix nonetheless, there has by no means been a red-flag in the course of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

• As a result of inaugural 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix being held on a Saturday night time final weekend, the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would be the first time there was an eight day hole between two consecutive races for the reason that 1966 Dutch Grand Prix.

• Of his six appearances on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Esteban has began within the prime ten in 5 of them and completed within the factors in 4. He recorded each his finest Qualifying and his finest end finally 12 months’s Grand Prix, having certified eighth and completed seventh.

• Pierre recorded his finest end at Yas Marina Circuit on the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ending fifth having climbed seven locations from his twelfth place beginning place.

• Esteban’s first-ever style of an F1 weekend got here when he drove in FP1 for the Enstone group (then often known as Lotus) on the 2014 Abu Dhabi GP, ending just one place behind common driver Pastor Maldonado.

• Alpine reserve Jack Doohan may have a busy weekend in Abu Dhabi, as not solely is he on account of drive for the group throughout Friday’s FP1 session, however it should additionally start solely 1h 40m after he may have completed his Formulation 2 observe session and finish solely half an hour earlier than he has to leap again in his F2 automobile for qualifying!

• That is the ultimate cease of a 22-race season that has seen drivers race for 1,325 laps, over a complete distance of 6,700 kilometres. When together with the observe, qualifying and dash periods, Alpine F1 automobiles have accomplished a complete of 27,903 kilometres throughout race weekends in 2023, the equal of driving 70% of the way in which around the globe for the reason that starting of FP1 in Bahrain again in March.

• By the point the chequered flag waves in Abu Dhabi this Sunday night, there’ll solely be 97 days to arrange earlier than the lights exit to start out the 2024 F1 season.