Ocon "glad" to repay Alonso for Hungary with Qatar defence
Alpine Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon says he was happy to repay teammate Fernando Alonso for his help in Hungary by holding up Sergio Perez in the Qatar Grand Prix.
Before the summer break Ocon took a shock maiden win in Budapest after an incident-filled start saw him vault to the lead.
All race long Ocon defended his lead against Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel, but it was the resurgent Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton he was more worried about.
But behind Ocon teammate Alonso managed to keep the much quicker Hamilton at bay for several laps, which gave Ocon enough breathing room to win, Hamilton eventually climbing no higher than third.
During Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix the roles were reversed as this time Alonso was heading for his first podium in seven years, with Ocon in the role of wingman behind.
Both Alpine cars were on a one-stop strategy and came under fire from Perez's Red Bull, who was flying on a two-stopper.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A521, Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF21, and Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB16B
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Ocon was acutely aware of the situation when he was asked on the team radio to play his part and "get his elbows out" to hold up the Mexican, and thus give Alonso some more margin.
When asked if he felt the need to repay Alonso for his help in Hungary, Ocon said: "Yes, exactly. So I came on the radio saying 'how far in front is Fernando' and basically the team said: ‘Oh, you need to defend now.’
"And I said: ‘Yeah, that’s why I was asking you guys! I’m aware of that situation’.
"So yeah, I wanted to do my best to try and slow down Checo as much as possible for him not to be able attack Fernando towards the end."
While Ocon struggled to keep the much faster Perez behind for long, he did defend stoutly into the first sequence of corners after holding him up on the previous lap.
"I slowed him down a good three seconds and that was what we needed," Ocon explained.
"It was not as easy to defend as Budapest because the straights are longer and he was on fresher tyres so it was a different set of circumstances, but I’m glad that I played my part and I gave a little bit back of what Fernando gave me in Budapest."
Alonso ultimately beat Perez to third by 2.8 seconds, after leading by five seconds on the penultimate lap.
Ocon followed the pair home in fifth in what amounted to Alpine's finest result since Hungary, which has all but guaranteed the Enstone team will beat AlphaTauri to fifth in the 2021 constructors' championship.
Related video
Hamilton, Mercedes feeling "better than ever" ahead of F1 title run-in
Piastri: Criticism against Alfa Romeo F1 signing Zhou is "pretty unfair"
The historic clues that offer hints of Hamilton’s next move
OPINION: Uncertainty over Lewis Hamilton's future has persisted since the race direction call that denied him an eighth world title in Abu Dhabi last month. But while walking away would be understandable, Hamilton has time and again responded well in the face of adversity and possesses all the tools needed to bounce back stronger than ever
What the FIA must do to restore F1’s credibility
OPINION: The first stage of the 2022 Formula 1 pre-season is just over a month away, but the championship is still reeling from the controversial results of last year’s finale. The FIA acknowledges F1 has had its reputation dented as a result, so here’s how it could go about putting things right
The six F1 subplots to watch in 2022 as a new era begins
As Formula 1 prepares to begin a new era of technical regulations in 2022, Autosport picks out six other key elements to follow this season
Why newly-retired Raikkonen won't miss F1
After 349 grand prix starts, 46 fastest laps, 21 wins and one world championship, Kimi Raikkonen has finally called time on his F1 career. In an exclusive interview with Autosport on the eve of his final race, he explains his loathing of paddock politics and reflects on how motorsport has changed over the past two decades
Unpacking the technical changes behind F1 2022's rules shakeup
Formula 1 cars will look very different this year as the long-awaited fresh rules finally arrive with the stated aim of improving its quality of racing. Autosport breaks down what the return of 'ground effect' aerodynamics - and a flurry of other changes besides - means for the teams, and what fans can expect
Why new era F1 is still dogged by its old world problems
OPINION: The 2022 Formula 1 season is just weeks away from getting underway. But instead of focusing on what is to come, the attention still remains on what has been – not least the Abu Dhabi title decider controversy. That, plus other key talking points, must be resolved to allow the series to warmly welcome in its new era
The Schumacher trait that will give Haas hope in F1 2022
Mick Schumacher’s knack of improving during his second season in a championship was a trademark of his junior formula career, so his progress during his rookie Formula 1 campaign with Haas was encouraging. His target now will be to turn that improvement into results as the team hopes to reap the rewards of sacrificing development in 2021
The “glorified taxi” driver central to F1’s continued safety push
As the driver of Formula 1’s medical car, Alan van der Merwe’s job is to wait – and hope his skills aren’t needed. JAMES NEWBOLD hears from F1’s lesser-known stalwarts