Ocon's F1 victory: "The symbol of Esteban's resilience", for Alpine boss

INTERVIEW

He took the top step of the podium ahead of two living Formula 1 legends, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.

French driver Esteban Ocon struck a blow on Sunday by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, his first Formula 1 victory for his 78th GP.

For the boss of the Alpine team, of which Esteban Ocon belongs and which belongs to the French car manufacturer Renault, Sunday's race was "the symbol of the resilience of Esteban and of the whole team", as he said. explains Monday on Europe 1.

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"It is the consecration and the obvious proof of his talent"

“It's not a race that is stolen, in quotes, in the last ten laps. It's a race that you have been leading from the start and that you have to hold on. the whole team in the management of fuel, tires, intervals and pit stops ", justifies Laurent Rossi. For him, it is also and clearly "a turning point" in the career of his pilot. "It is the consecration and the obvious proof of his talent."

"It will allow him, and everyone around him and even outside the team, to all those who doubted - and there were a few when we signed three years (with him) - , to understand why I have so much faith and why we have so much faith, the whole Alpine team, in this pilot ", adds the general manager.

"I am really very proud of the team"

"It is a great pride. A great pride for the Alpine brand but also for the Renault group which is behind it all. It is also a great pride for the team which has worked hard since the start of the season, and for several seasons besides, and which saw difficulties accumulate around it but which continued to work very hard to seek all that was possible, until a victory, continues it . "I am really very proud of the team."

For the Alpine team, this victory was also an opportunity to score important points in its quest for places of honor in the constructors' championship. "The objective is to progress regularly in F1 until being able to win races regularly and win championships," recalls Laurent Rossi. "And therefore being fifth, which is the ranking obtained last year, remains important for us because we want to stay on a dynamic of progression."

For the boss of Alpine, going "to seek all possible points" allows "to store operational experience and excellence". "This is what we saw (Sunday). There was really the strategic and operational excellence put in place to bring a car that does not normally have its place on the podium, let's be very clear, on the podium. It really is a show of strength. "