Alpine duo reflect on troubled relationship after '$30 million' podiums.
Despite their close childhood as karting friends in Northern France, Ocon and Gasly have had at times a strained relationship, including in F1.
4 Nov 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Their two-three result was the best for 'Team Enstone' since a similar result for Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen at the 2013 Korean GP, with Gasly reflecting on the "very personal relationship" with his soon-to-be-ex-team-mate. "I don't think anyone can understand, it's a very personal relationship between Esteban and myself," he told media including RacingNews365.

"But we've been going through so much, all these times we've had, like over winter, minus 5 degrees outside, we were the only ones showing up at the go-kart track, going out in the rain, in the snow, on slick tyres at 9, 10, 11 years old. We've really practised these conditions. And on a day like this, I can tell you this actually made the difference, all that practice.”

"I remember us getting back in the truck and trying to get warm after a few laps because we were absolutely freezing. And it's just that we've had our ups and downs. But in this two-year chapter as team-mates, I think we can be very proud of the way we've pushed the team forward."

“Only ones showing up at the go-kart track”;

https://racingnews365.com/alpine-duo...illion-podiums


Alpine boss Oakes buzzing after double podium: "Can see how much it means"
4 Nov 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has said "you can see how much it means" to the French team after they earned a sublime double podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix. "Since Austin, we have more pace, with this upgrade," Oakes explained after the Grand Prix at Interlagos. "Even yesterday with Pierre, it was a strong [Sprint] race. Credit to everyone today because the drivers have just said then in the debrief they didn't put a foot wrong in tricky conditions. Also strategy, those calls, everything. It was a good day. Even with the pace in the race, Esteban was very strong. Credit to Max [Verstappen]. He's impressive as well in those conditions."

Oakes knows how big of a result it was for the team: "I was thinking this earlier, you've got to enjoy the moment, but also be humble because there's still quite a few races left, isn't there? I think more for the team as a whole, at the beginning of the season, they got a lot of mud slung at them, or a bit of stick. You can see how much it means to them."

‘Oakes buzzing’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31148...in-brazil.html


Alpine duo commend team’s resilience after ‘incredible’ Brazil GP
Arguably the most dramatic race of the 2024 season so far...
Nov 4, 2024
Freddie Cotton
FormulaNerds

Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have praised the team’s resilience this year after their double podium finish at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Whilst they had to endure a dismal first 20 races of the season, Alpine will certainly view their weekend in Brazil as worth the wait. Speaking to Formula 1 media after the chequered flag, Gasly expressed his delight with the team’s weekend and praised the Alpine crew for persevering through such a tough year:

“I’m absolutely buzzing right now! I’m just so proud of the team. To overcome such a tough season… it would have been too easy to give up but we never gave up and here we are. Both cars P2 and P3, a lot of points for the team and everyone should be very proud today.”

“It’s incredible for the whole team. We had such a tough season, we’ve struggled to score points. In these conditions everything was possible. No one believed it until the end – two cars on the podium, I don’t think anyone would have got that on their bingo card ahead of this season. It’s just fantastic.”

‘Team’s resilience’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/al.../?nowprocket=1


Briatore hails Alpine F1's 30 million euro pay-day
Sunday at Interlagos may have been worth a whopping 30 million euros to the struggling Alpine team.
4 Nov 2024
GrandPrix.com

“Without taking anything away from an incredible Ocon in the wet and a Gasly who did his job well, today we were also lucky”, Briatore told Sky Italia. “I think we have a car that is better in the wet. Unfortunately I don't think the next three races will be wet”, the Italian lamented. “But today we saw with all these young drivers presented as a new phenomena how much experience still counts in Formula 1.”

“This year we did more of a house cleaning”, said Briatore, "and we're still doing it. We made only one real evolutionary step so as not to disturb the 2025 project, and the step we took was in the direction of 2025 in any case. That is all I authorised. It went well, because this year many teams took steps back when they brought updates. So well done to our engineers.”

He said: "We need to get back to having people working for a racing team and not for a corporate company. We have gone back to how Renault was before. Those who are left exclusively deal with the team and F1. Everyone else has gone”, revealed Briatore. “When I arrived there were 1150 people, now we are 850. We have put things back the way they should be, with the team based in Great Britain independent from everything else,” said Briatore.

‘30 million euro pay-day’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/briat...o-pay-day.html


Bingo! Alpine strike F1 jackpot at Brazilian Grand Prix
4 Nov 2024
The Straits Times

Alpine hit a possible €29.2 million (S$41.9 million) jackpot in Brazil on Nov 3, when French pair Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished second and third respectively...

“We have struggled to score points and in these conditions everything was possible,” said Gasly, who also scored two points with seventh in the sprint on Nov 2. No one believed it until the end. Two cars on the podium. I don’t think anyone would have got that on their bingo card ahead of the season.”

Former boss Flavio Briatore, now an executive adviser who reports to Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, clarified the figure to Sky Italia. “It’s 29.2 million (euros). It’s the first thing I asked,” he told Sky. The joy and relief were evident as mechanics and engineers celebrated in the pit lane.

‘Alpine strike F1 jackpot’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ian-grand-prix


Esteban Ocon shares what was ‘worth it’ after securing Sao Paulo Grand Prix podium
4 Nov 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer

Esteban Ocon says extra sleep was ‘worth it’. As a result of the torrential rain that fell over the circuit on Saturday, qualifying was postponed and rescheduled for early Sunday morning. That meant an early wake-up call for the drivers, who were impacted by the race time being brought forward to account for any delays that would be required.

Max Verstappen must have slept well, as he dominated for Red Bull to claim an emphatic victory from 17th on the grid. However, as he revealed on X (formerly known as Twitter) after the race, Esteban Ocon enjoyed some extra sleep before the race. “That extra minute of sleep was DEFINITELY worth it – iykyk.”

‘Extra sleep was worth it’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/est...d-prix-podium/


Pierre Gasly: Alpine Brazil GP podium built on ‘personal relationship’ with Esteban Ocon
4 Nov 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

Pierre Gasly: “…minus 5 degrees outside, we were the only ones showing up at the go-kart track, going out in the rain, in the snow, slick tyres, 9, 10, 11 years old. We’ve really practiced these conditions. And on a day like today, I can tell you this actually made the difference, all that practice. I remember us getting back in the truck trying to get warm after a few laps because we were absolutely freezing.”

Given the team’s tumultuous history, it’s no shock that the last time the team scored a double podium was all the way back in 2013. In those days, Alpine was known as Lotus Renault and Kimi Raikkonen stood with Romain Grosjean on the Korean GP podium.

Team Enstone has been on a downward spiral since, but Gasly said that his two years at Alpine with Ocon is something they can be “very proud” of. “We’ve had our ups and downs,” he said. “But this two years chapter as team-mates, I think we can be very proud of the way we’ve pushed the team forward.”

“Practiced these conditions”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-esteban-ocon/


Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon share ‘beautiful’ childhood story after Sao Paulo Grand Prix podiums
4 Nov 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Ocon: “Do you remember in Anvil when we were driving in the rain?”
Gasly: “Even in the snow! Takes me back to the days when we were the only ones turning up at the karting track, freezing cold in the rain, it’s all worth it.”

Ocon: “It paid off today and I tell you, when we did the formation in the in-lap that was the first thing that came to my mind.”
Gasly: “What a beautiful story that is. This is a moment of a lifetime, as a kid from where we came from to end up as teammates was against all odds, but to end up on the same podium is more against all odds.”

‘Beautiful childhood story’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/pie...-prix-podiums/