For the first time in his long and illustrious Formula 1 career, Fernando Alonso will experience back-to-back races at the same circuit, with this weekends Austrian Grand Prix of course being held at the same venue as last weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix, the Red Bull Ring.
Alonso had a solid grand prix last time out, the Spaniard featured in the points places for the vast majority of the race, eventually crossing the line in ninth place.
This weekend represents a brand new challenge for the double world champion, never before has he raced at the same venue across consecutive weekends. If last season is anything to go by, the second race of a double-header tends to be much closer than the first. Alonso is looking forward to building on last weekend and keeping the momentum going.
“It’s the third race of our first triple header this season so I made sure to take some time to recharge the batteries ahead of this weekend. It’s my first time experiencing back to back races at the same venue in Formula 1. But I am looking forward to getting back to the track for another race here and to keep the momentum going. As we saw last weekend qualifying and traffic management can be difficult with it being such a short lap.
“Tyre management is also key here and the compounds are a step softer this weekend which presents a new challenge. The weather is also very unpredictable, where one minute it’s clear blue skies with high temperatures, and the next it’s pouring down with rain and possible thunderstorms. We enjoy these challenges as drivers and I think this makes racing here twice in a row quite interesting as you try to adjust and perfect your weekend.”
“I’m feeling motivated and determined to get back into the top ten” – Esteban Ocon
On the other side of the Alpine F1 Team garage, Esteban Ocon is hoping for a much smoother weekend compared to last. Last weekend Ocon failed to make it out of qualifying one, the big shock of the session.
With Ocon starting so far down the field on one of the shortest, fastest laps on the calendar, the Frenchman had virtually no chance of finishing in the points. In the end fourteenth place was all he could manage.
Ocon is determined however to bounce back this weekend, with some ideas already drawn up to push him back into the mix.
“There’s no better opportunity than to comeback straight away at a back to back race. We have some ideas to explore and things to test to see what we can do to improve the performance. I’m feeling motivated and determined to get back into the top ten this weekend, and I’m looking forward to it.
“I’ve relaxed for a couple of days near the circuit where I’m staying. Austria is a great location to unwind, so that’s been quite enjoyable. I’ve mixed a little bit of training with some fun activities like mountain biking, which has been great. It’s the last race of the triple header and I want to cap off this segment of the season with a strong result.”
