Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes was thrilled with the team’s first double podium finish since the 2013 Korean Grand Prix (as Lotus Renault). In a sensational turn of events, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished second and third respectively in Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix, joining race winner Max Verstappen on the podium.
Ocon already impressed in qualifying, taking advantage of the postponed, prolonged, rain-affected session to secure fourth place for the race, which was scheduled for later that day.
He held onto his position during the first stint and made a crucial move to pass Tsunoda for third, just before the Virtual Safety Car was deployed on Lap 28. Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly opted to stay out while others around them dove into the pits, allowing them to slot into the top three positions. Shortly after, the race was red flagged following Franco Colapinto’s crash, which meant a ‘free’ pit stop for the trio during the stoppage.
After his unexpected race-leading spell, Ocon would ultimately go on to finish second as Verstappen overtook for the lead at the restart, following a Safety Car period on Lap 43. Gasly rounded out the podium, after fighting his way up from 13th at the start and keeping George Russell at bay in the closing stages of the race.
Both drivers navigated the challenging conditions flawlessly, and this, combined with Alpine’s timely strategic decisions, allowed the two Frenchmen to celebrate a remarkable double podium finish, picking up a sizable haul of 35 points.
The result instantly catapulted Alpine from a lowly P9 to P6 in the Constructors’ standings, where they now sit above Haas, RB, Williams and Sauber, with a total of 49 points. This marks a milestone achievement for Oakes, who was appointed team principal just a few months ago, replacing Bruno Famin in this role.
Oakes shared his thoughts after the race, expressing his delight at the result, in what has been a difficult season for Alpine.
“Obviously, for me, it’s a great result for the team,” he said. “Across Enstone and Viry, it’s a big result after the last couple of years, or even the beginning of this year, so I’m happy for them.
“Yeah, [Ocon] was very strong. Well, you could see that all day.
“I think, to be fair, him and Pierre, they’re a bit like that. They’re always sort of clipping each other’s heels is what I’d say, but it’s nice to see both of them on the podium as well. It’s not lost on me.”
Regarding the decision to stay out under the SC, Oakes explained: “I think at that stage of the race, every team had their reasons for what they did. For us, track position was key. You could see that it was hard to pass.
“Everybody got a bit caught out even after that pit stop, with just how wet it was. I think a little luck always plays a part, but I think actually the strategy was right to prioritise that. Also, the feedback, because it isn’t just the guys in the pit or the communication with the drivers. It was proper today.
“Credit to everyone today, really, because the drivers, they didn’t put a foot wrong. It was tricky conditions. Also the strategy, those calls, everything. It was a good day, and even the pace in the race.”
Oakes acknowledged that the team felt they were making progress since Austin, but the unexpected result has undoubtedly provided a significant confidence boost as they aim to close out the season on a high note.
“Since Austin, we’ve had a bit of pace with this upgrade. Even yesterday with Pierre, it was a strong race.”
Oakes continued: “It is a real big result today. You’ve got to enjoy the moment, but also be humble because there’s still quite a few races left, isn’t there?
“(…) And obviously this does help us to keep the confidence going in the team. Since I arrived after the shutdown, I could see already the build-up to Austin with the sort of tempering expectations, because it has been really hard to develop a car, especially in-season. I think we’ve seen that with quite a few teams.
“In Austin, I was sort of full of praise for the fact we brought performance to the car. It was a bit trickier in the race, but then it was nice to back that up in another way with points in Mexico. And then I think here to see another improvement on that, it definitely does help.
“Credit to everyone at Enstone and Viry, because for them, it does mean a lot. You can see that.”
