Ocon: Alpine has ‘no margin’ in 2021 F1 battle for points
Esteban Ocon thinks his Alpine team doesn't have any "margin" for error if it wants to score points in the 2021 Formula 1 season.
The team previously known as Renault endured a tough season-opening Bahrain GP, with Fernando Alonso retiring and team-mate Ocon finishing down in a disappointing 13th position.
It was the first time since last year's Spanish GP that neither of the Enstone team's cars finished in the points.
Ocon's race chances at Sakhir were compromised by starting from 16th on the grid after he was unable to complete his final flying lap when Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr produced a yellow flag in the dying moments of Q1.
With an extremely close fight in the midfield, Ocon believes Alpine needs to get everything right in order to be in the top 10.
"It is clear that what hurt us is the starting position," said Ocon. "If we were starting inside the top 10, of course you are already inside the points, but even 11th or 12th there would have been a chance for us to get into the points.
"We don't have any margin and we need to extract the maximum out of the car to be able to do that.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 in the Press Conference
Photo by: FIA Pool
"We have clear ways of seeing where we are lacking a little bit of performance or where we have an area to improve. We know where it is, it is up to us to find that and find more pace for the next events so that gives us a bit more of a margin."
While Ocon has hailed the 2021 Renault engine as the best he's driven in Formula 1, the Frenchman acknowledges Alpine still needs to recover some of the chassis performance lost through the regulation changes.
He says, however, that his team has already pinpointed the key areas where it needs to improve.
"Of course the new rules have changed a lot of things," he added. "As everybody says, it is a year that we keep the same rules and carry-over from last year, but this is not the reality.
"In fact, most of the car is new for everybody. For us for sure as we know what we have on the car. Everybody lost a good amount of grip and downforce and everybody is trying to get that back on the cars.
"At the moment with the new rules everybody is slower and we are as well compared to the car we had last year so we know where to find the time and we know where to recover that lap time.
"The part of spotting where it is, that is now done, now we have to do it."
Related video
Previous article
Wolff: Nobody foresaw hostility between F1 rivals Hamilton and Rosberg
Next article
Marko: Vettel should have taken a year off from F1 in 2021
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Esteban Ocon |
| Teams | Alpine |
| Author | Pablo Elizalde |
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
How a harshly ejected Red Bull star has been hooked by racing again
Driver-turned-DJ Jaime Alguersuari lost his love for motorsport when he was booted out of Formula 1 just as he was starting to polish his rough edges. Having drifted from category to category then turned his back on racing altogether in 2015, he’s come full circle and is planning a return in karts for fun
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping
