Esteban Ocon scored one point in Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, with the Frenchman becoming the first driver since the Monaco Grand Prix of 1997 to go through a whole race without making a pit stop.
Despite warnings from Pirelli, the Alpine F1 Team driver attempted to make one set of intermediates last the whole race, and despite losing ground in the closing stages to those who had made a pit stop, Ocon was able to hold onto the final point having started outside the top ten.
Ocon felt the tyre gamble was worth taking at Intercity Istanbul Park, and he believes the point shows that it was the right decision.
“Scoring one point today does feel sweet after a challenging weekend and a very long race,” said Ocon. “It was good to take a risk today by going to the end on one set of tyres, which you don’t see very often.
“It was also nice to give the guys a break from doing pit-stops for the afternoon! I remember at this race last year the same could have been possible; it was difficult, but the tyres just about lasted and we have a small reward for that in the end.
“I enjoyed the fights on track out there too, we managed to muscle our way through, which was fun. One point is nice and hopefully we can keep building for the next race.”
“We’ll pick ourselves up for Austin” – Fernando Alonso
Team-mate Fernando Alonso’s Turkish Grand Prix was compromised on the opening lap after being spun around by Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda’s Pierre Gasly at turn one, although he did not help himself as he fought back through the field as he collided with Uralkali Haas F1 Team’s Mick Schumacher.
Alonso was one of the first to make a pit stop, but the five-second time penalty for colliding with Schumacher as well as graining on his new intermediates meant the gamble did not pay off, and he ended the day outside the points in sixteenth.
Having started fifth, the result was not what Alonso had been hoping for going into the race, but he hopes his luck changes when Formula 1 returns to the Circuit of the Americas for the United States Grand Prix later this month.
“It was very tricky conditions today and very slippery,” said Alonso. “Unfortunately, we had the two collisions, which damaged our race.
“Pierre [Gasly] was in a sandwich going into the corner and hit the rear of my car. And then I am sorry to Mick [Schumacher] for hitting his car going into Turn 4. I went for the overtake but it was very difficult to see everyone around you in the wet conditions.
“It was bad luck today and it’s a shame we weren’t able to capitalise on our excellent starting position. Nevertheless, as a team we still scored a point today and we’ll pick ourselves up for Austin where hopefully our luck changes.”
