16-11-2024
After two hours of racing in soaking-wet conditions, Esteban Ocon raised his hand triumphantly as he crossed the finish line in Brazil, claiming a brilliant second place just ahead of team-mate Pierre Gasly. Standing together on the podium, the old friends shared a special moment, celebrating the BWT Alpine Formula One Team’s first-ever double podium in F1.
It was a remarkable turnaround from the dry sessions, as Esteban had struggled on the newly-surfaced Interlagos track earlier in the weekend. After 26 laps in FP1, he recorded only the 18th-fastest time, which he improved to 17th for Sprint Qualifying. However, he managed to find more pace in the 24-lap Sprint Race and climbed three places to finish 13th.
With Qualifying postponed due to heavy rain on Saturday, drivers went straight onto a wet track on Sunday morning. An epic race day in São Paulo began early, with ‘Oconzinho’ setting his alarm for 4:31a.m. in deference to his car number. Despite five red-flag stoppages, Esteban delivered a superb lap, securing a spot on the second row of the grid — the team’s best qualifying result all season.
Once the São Paulo Grand Prix finally got underway, Esteban made a strong start, running in fourth place through the opening laps. As conditions worsened, he executed a brilliant pass for third and opted not to pit as the Virtual Safety Car was deployed. The strategic decision to continue on worn intermediates paid off when the race was neutralised, first by a Safety Car then a red flag.
Esteban led at Interlagos for a total of 14 laps (from 29 to 42) before settling into second place, with Pierre close behind. On a day when many drivers faltered, spinning out or hitting the barriers, the French duo drove with precision, securing a vital 35 points for the team in total.
“I’m not sure if this is reality or a dream, but I smell champagne, so I think it’s reality!” joked Esteban in the post-race FIA press conference. “It’s been an incredible day. We were very, very quick as soon as these conditions appeared, and our strategy was spot on. Fighting with the guys at the front was a fantastic feeling.
“When we were leading the race, that was a special moment, especially as I was pulling away from Max at that first restart,” added Esteban. “It was going incredibly well. I’m so happy to be on the podium, and the support I’ve received from the Brazilian fans — who’ve known me as ‘Oconzinho’ since my early days — has been amazing. I can’t thank everyone and the whole Alpine team enough.
Finally, Esteban shared a touching moment reflecting on his friendship with Pierre: “I’m extremely happy for both Pierre and myself. On the slow-down lap, I had flashbacks to when we raced in the wet in go-karts when we were young. It’s a beautiful story, from where we started and where we are today. This day will forever be engraved in my memory.”