Ocon delighted after 'INSANE' qualifying in Monaco with lucky escape

Shay Rogers
Saturday 27 May 2023 21:15

Esteban Ocon hailed Alpine’s best qualifying performance of the season, as they managed to place two cars inside the top seven.

Sitting 12th in the drivers’ standings, Ocon is under pressure to deliver a big result in the aftermath of ruthless comments from Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi.

A major crash with teammate Pierre Gasly cruelly denied him of a fifth-place finish in the Australian Grand Prix, meaning the team now sit sixth in the constructor’s championship.

Speaking about his performance after the session, the Frenchman told Sky Sports F1 “If you told us before the weekend that we were going to be in the top five and fourth on the grid, I think we would have definitely signed.

“A hell of a lap at the end. I hit the barrier; it was not a brush anymore – it was a massive hit. But the car stayed in one piece, and I managed to finish the lap like that.”

Szafnauer pleased with Monaco turnaround

While his team are under pressure to perform, Otmar Szafnauer was more than happy with his teams’ performance following a hectic qualifying session.

“He [Esteban] did a fantastic job. All weekend he was slowly building up, he made sure he kept it out of the wall.

“You need track time around here; you need confidence with the car, and he was confident in the end and put a stunning lap in. Well done to Esteban.”

With Charles Leclerc under investigation for impeding McLaren’s Lando Norris in the tunnel, there’s a possibility that both Alpines line up in the top six.

Question marks remain as to whether rain will arrive for Sunday’s race, with any variables providing the opportunity for teams to get a rare result that only Monaco can produce.

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