Ocon says the new Alpine F1 management structure makes him feel 'better at ease'

Following several changes at the team in recent years, Esteban Ocon claims he is "certainly more calm" working with the current Alpine Formula 1 management set-up.

Esteban Ocon at the 2022 Austrian GP. (Image: Twitter)
By Mahaksh Chauhan | Dec 28, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Ocon was the driving force behind Alpine’s F1 efforts this season, barely outscoring teammate Fernando Alonso as the team finished fourth in the constructors’ title, leading the midfield. The Frenchman, who returned to the grid with Renault in 2020 before the team changed its name to Alpine the following year, thought it was his best Formula One season to date. The Enstone-based F1 team has undergone a lot of management changes recently in addition to changing its name.

Best out of him

In February, former Aston Martin executive Otmar Szafnauer replaced the previous arrangement in which former executive director Marcin Budkowski and racing director Davide Brivio shared day-to-day management of the team. Szafnauer reports to Luca de Meo, general manager of the Renault Group, and Laurent Rossi, CEO of Alpine. Ocon believed this organisational structure brought out the best in Szafnauer.

Ocon told repoter, “I went to Enstone for the first time in 2010, so 12 years ago, and it’s unbelievable, I’ve seen a lot of development. “It feels fantastic to be settled for a very long period. Otmar, Laurent, and Luca provide outstanding leadership for our team. It’s a wonderful squad, in my opinion. “They are applying constructive pressure to us. It’s not negative pressure because you have to provide or else it’s over. It is entirely distinct. It is the fervour for racing.

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Stable performance ?

Ocon won his maiden Formula One race with Alpine at the Hungarian Grand Prix last year, and he has a long-term contract in place to stay with the French team through at least the 2024 season. Ocon has a solid foundation for the future thanks to the team’s improved performance this year and factory support from Renault. While everything “looks beautiful on paper,” according to Ocon, there is still work to be done to get Alpine where it can compete at the front of the F1 grid.