16. 10. 2024
BWT Alpine Formula One Team heads to the Circuit of The Americas for Round 19 of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the United States Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly preview the United States Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon:
Recuperate and Refocus
Singapore was a tough weekend for the team and although we were able to make up places at the start of the race, we were unable to keep up with the cars ahead. We maximised everything we could but unfortunately that wasn’t enough for points contention. Having the break between Singapore and this weekend in Austin has allowed us time to debrief and refocus our attention to the upcoming triple header as well as giving the team time to recuperate and prepare ahead of the final stretch of the 2024 season.
Maximise and Extract
I am excited to head back to Austin, it is a unique place to visit and the energy the American fans bring always provides an amazing atmosphere for the weekend. Circuit of The Americas is a challenging but incredible track which always produces some entertaining racing. Austin will be the start of two triple headers which are always both physically and mentally demanding for the entire team, so it was great to have a break after Singapore to prepare. I have been working hard at the gym and on the simulator with the team at the factory and our goal will be to maximise every opportunity presented to us to extract what we can from the weekend.
Esteban Stats – United States Grand Prix
Starts in Austin: 6
Points in Austin: 8
Average Points: 1.33
Best Grid Position: 6th (2018)
Best Finish: 6th (2017)
Best Qualifying Lap Time: 1min 34.145secs (2018)
Fastest Lap: 1min 39.992secs (2018)
Pierre Gasly:
A much-needed break
It’s been very nice to have a short break after Singapore, a race which was challenging for the entire team. We were not competitive and that pushed us to try something different with the strategy and to disrupt cars around us to help Esteban’s race. That unfortunately did not have the desired effect. We probably expected to have a better performance in Singapore than in Monza and Baku beforehand, but we were unable to fight for the points so there’s lots to do in the last six races. The three-week gap has given us some time to relax and also reset while allowing some time to really get our heads down ahead of the return to Austin for the start of the penultimate triple header.
Back in Texas
I’m really excited to be heading back to Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix. The Circuit of The Americas put on one of the best events of the year and the American fans are growing in their support for Formula 1. The track is demanding but has a good flow and can be incredibly rewarding, as we found last year with seventh in the Sprint Race and sixth in the Grand Prix. I’ve been back at Enstone in the short break to prepare on the simulator because we really need to hit the ground running as it’s another Sprint weekend. I hope we can start the triple header with two great results for the team to kick start the last two months of the season. There's a lot to play for and we intend to fight for a higher position in the Championship.
Pierre Stats – United States Grand Prix
Starts in Austin: 5
Points in Austin: 10
Average Points: 2.00
Best Grid Position: 7th (2023)
Best Finish: 6th (2023)
Best Qualifying Lap Time: 1min 33.556secs (2019)
Fastest Lap: 1min 39.646secs (2018)