"Ninth place, nice job": the words of Karel Loos, Pierre Gasly's engineer, in the team's radio come to put an end to more than an hour of stress and tension for the French team, which failed to place its two drivers in the Top 10, as was the case in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.

It was close as Ocon was eliminated at the end of the second part of qualifying (Q2) by only seven thousandths of a second, while he had just recorded a promising fourth place in Q1...

An hour earlier, he had arrived concentrated in the garage, where about forty people work. As usual, he was the first of the two Alpine drivers to join his single-seater, around which a dozen mechanics and engineers were busy carrying out noisy engine tests, 15 minutes before the start of the session.

After talking with members of his team, the Norman puts on his hood, helmet and gloves, he climbs on a scale to weigh himself, then climbs into his car.

Amazed eyes

The ritual is the same for Gasly, who makes his appearance soon after. At 15:58, as the first cars start from their pits for the start of qualifying, the mechanics install the soft tyres on the two pink cars of the French team, while the engineers scrutinize the weather radars because the rain threatens and could change the situation.

France's Esteban Ocon during qualifying for Saturday's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne © Paul CROCK / AFP

On the radio, the engineers announced the strategy: "We will start at the fourth minute of the session and we will alternate a slow lap and a fast lap". Then, at 16:04 p.m., everything accelerates in the garage and the two cars rush in a deafening noise, under the amazed eyes of a dozen guests, helmets on their ears and phones in hand to film and take pictures.

But, a few moments later, the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) went off the track and caused the interruption of Q1. Both cars were then recalled to the garage. The tyres are removed on the Ocon one, engine tests are carried out on the Gasly one.

Five minutes later, the two cars returned to the track. And everyone now has their eyes glued to the televisions that broadcast the qualifications live.

Gasly scared himself with the 13th time, while applause rang out when Ocon set the third provisional time of Q1.

Alpine Frenchman Pierre Gasly during the third qualifying session of Saturday's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne © Martin KEEP / AFP

Back in the garage, the cars are checked by the mechanics, who hand over fuel for Q2. It starts at 16:33 p.m. and, four minutes later, everything comes alive again, the engines hum, the cars start. "We keep the same strategy, with a slow lap and then a fast lap," said Josh Peckett, Esteban Ocon's engineer.

Two rooms, two atmospheres

The garage went silent again, except when Max Verstappen (Red Bull), launched at full speed, narrowly avoided a moorhen crossing the track, which caused some screams.

Then applause rang out when Gasly set the fourth time, while it was the cold shower on the other side of the garage, where mechanics took the lead with both hands when they saw that Ocon was relegated to 11th place, synonymous with elimination.

Pierre Gasly makes a pit stop during the third qualifying session of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Saturday © Paul CROCK / AFP

"Seven thousandths is frustrating, we had the speed for much more today," the 26-year-old driver reacted afterwards to the microphone of Canal +.

Esteban Ocon returned to the garage and got out of his car with his face closed, while Gasly prepared for the final part of qualifying. "This time we will leave at the beginning of the session because the rain could come," Karel Loos told the radio. "I agree," the former AlphaTauri pilot replied.

While Gasly clinched ninth place on the grid and his mechanics congratulated each other, Ocon's mechanics had already begun to dismantle their protégé's car on the other side of the garage... Two rooms, two atmospheres!

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