Esteban Ocon and his teammate Pierre Gasly faced challenges in their recent race due to damage from an early collision. This damage affected their car’s downforce, making it harder to perform well. Ocon believes this damage contributed to their struggles, but it’s not the only reason they faced difficulties.
After finishing 15th in the race, more than 20 seconds behind the car in front of him, Ocon shared his disappointment. He mentioned that while the damage from the first lap didn’t help, it wasn’t the main reason for their performance issues.
Ocon explained that they tried a different strategy to gain an advantage but couldn’t keep up with their competitors. Despite passing a few cars during the race, they couldn’t maintain their position.
He admitted feeling like they were in a lower category compared to other teams. This disappointing race followed a promising qualifying session where Ocon made it to the second round of qualifying.
However, Ocon suggested that changes made to their car setup might have affected their race performance negatively. While they improved their speed for single-lap runs, it seemed to hurt their ability to perform well throughout the race.
While Ocon and Gasly faced challenges from early damage and tried different strategies, they couldn’t match the pace of their rivals. Despite making progress in qualifying, they struggled during the race, indicating the need to address issues affecting their long-run performance.