Ocon got Alpine’s first points of the year by finishing 10th in the race last Sunday. This was a big deal because Alpine hadn’t scored any points since the 2023 Las Vegas GP. They had a tough time this year because their car was too heavy and not fast enough.
Miami was the first race where Alpine’s car met the weight limit because of some upgrades they added. These upgrades made the car a bit faster. Ocon was happy about this improvement, but he didn’t think they should celebrate too much because 10th place isn’t a huge achievement.
He said, “We don’t want to be jumping around and celebrating too hard. Obviously, it’s only a top 10.” However, he also pointed out that compared to where they were at the beginning of the season, it was a good improvement. They started the season with both cars in the back, so being in the points now is a step forward.
Ocon and Gasly, his teammate, had their best qualifying of the year in Miami, starting 13th and 12th. But Ocon still thinks they are better in qualifying than in the race. He believes if the race was longer, Nico Hulkenberg from Haas could have challenged them. Hulkenberg went from 14th to 11th after making a pit stop during a safety car period.
Ocon had to fight hard in the race because the car wasn’t fast enough on the straights. But despite the challenges, he was happy they got some points. With these points, Alpine is now in eighth place in the standings, ahead of Sauber and Williams, which haven’t scored any points yet.
