Esteban Ocon: “I like this track and I’m looking forward to being back”

Esteban Ocon and the BWT Alpine F1 Team are looking forward to being back in Austin for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, as we enter the eighteenth round of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Ocon came away from the Japanese Grand Prix a fortnight ago with some very important points for the Alpine team, in their fight with McLaren F1 Team for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. The Frenchman finished the race at the Suzuka International Racing Course in fourth place, which is his best race result to date this season.

Alpine currently have a thirteen point advantage over McLaren in the team standings. with the hope of being able to extend that gap over their rivals around the Circuit of the Americas.

Ocon spoke about the testing track, as we look ahead to this weekend’s sessions with the Frenchman comparing Austin’s iconic circuit to an “exciting roller coaster ride”.

“COTA is like an exciting rollercoaster ride for driver and machine that really puts both to the test. You can split the circuit in two parts with the very high-speed section at the start, going pretty much flat out before turn 11. Then, following the long back straight, we pass the iconic observation tower and tackle a combination of technical low-speed corners to end the lap. It’s fast and flowing, but also bumpy, which adds to the challenge. I like this track and I’m looking forward to being back.”

Fernando Alonso: “The fans have really fallen in love with the sport“

Fernando Alonso, like his team-mate, also heads into this weekend’s Grand Prix in Austin coming off a good performance around Suzuka. He finished seventh place in Japan as he missed out on sixth place to Sebastian Vettel by only eleven-hundredths of a second, as the pair went neck and neck across the line.

The Spaniard finished on the podium at the Circuit of the Americas in its inaugural race back in 2012 which, remains his best result around the track to date. Alonso will be hoping to have a similar result this time round in Austin to that one ten years ago.

Alonso spoke about the advantageous overtaking opportunities that the United States Grand Prix presents, and also his excitement to be back in front of the US fans who always create a great atmosphere.

“It’s a good circuit to go racing on. It usually provides exciting racing and there are overtaking opportunities. I have always enjoyed coming to America for motorsports. This season we’ve already had one race in Miami there and next year there will be three Grand Prix’s.”

“The circuit in Austin has a good mixture of straights and corners and it has a lot of undulations and sweeping corners. Sector 1 is especially fun but also a real challenge. The fans have really fallen in love with the sport and we are guaranteed a great atmosphere with full grandstands.”

Credit: BWT Alpine F1 Team