When Alpine determined to pair Pierre Gasly with Esteban Ocon, it was instantly met with questions on how the 2 former associates who grew up karting collectively would get alongside as teammates.
Whereas 2023 in addition to the beginning of the 2024 marketing campaign was a wrestle for the crew and never with out some tense moments — corresponding to a gap lap collision between the 2 in the beginning of this season’s Monaco Grand Prix — Sunday’s Components 1 São Paulo Grand Prix gave the pair a proverbial second within the solar.
Even when there was no solar to be discovered within the sky above a rain-soaked Interlagos.
Ocon completed second, with Gasly behind him in third, to provide the crew a double-podium end. It was the primary for the Enstone-based operation because the 2013 marketing campaign, once they have been competing beneath the Lotus branding.
After the rostrum celebration, Ocon mirrored on that “lovely story” within the FIA Press Convention, whereas discussing how he’s leaving for Haas subsequent season.
“However, yeah, extraordinarily blissful and proud, you understand, of me and Pierre, to be trustworthy. We’ve had our tales at occasions, but it surely’s been unbelievable to do this final formation lap. Plenty of flashbacks got here again to my recollections, after we have been racing on the moist in go-karts, after we have been younger, even within the snow with the slick tires, we have been each racing collectively and ready for the rostrum or the win to return,” mentioned Ocon. “And at this time, yeah, it tastes a bit like that. So, yeah, lovely story from the place we come from. And, yeah, that one will for certain without end keep engraved.”
His teammate echoed these ideas.
“I don’t assume anybody can perceive. , it’s a really private relationship between Esteban and myself. However we’ve been going by means of a lot. And as he talked about, all these occasions we’ve had, like over winter, minus-five levels outdoors, we have been the one ones displaying up on the go-kart monitor, going out within the rain, within the snow, slick tires, 9, 10, 11 years previous,” mentioned Gasly. “And we’ve actually practiced these circumstances. And on a day like at this time, I can let you know this truly made the distinction, all that observe. I bear in mind us getting again within the truck attempting to get heat after a couple of laps as a result of we have been completely freezing. And it’s simply that we’ve had our ups and downs.
“However as you mentioned, this two years chapter as team-mates, I feel we might be very happy with the way in which we’ve pushed the crew ahead. It’s been powerful, clearly, this season, however we’ve at all times tried to push the crew in the best course to by no means hand over,” Gasly added. “And on a day like at this time, even when the automobile has misbehaved for almost all of the season, everybody tried to place the A sport, and it was simply an historic day for the crew. So very proud for everybody working within the crew to realize such a efficiency.”
The win vaulted Alpine up the standings, rocketing them from ninth to sixth within the Constructors’ Championship. Whereas three race weekends stay, and Alpine will face a tricky battle with Haas and Visa Money App RB F1 Workforce in that battle, they now have the benefit in that battle because the season winds down. Given how they’ve fared in current weeks, one might nearly make the case that Alpine might have a bonus in that battle.
No matter how that seems, nevertheless, their drivers wrote a “lovely story” within the rain Sunday at Interlagos.
