‘It’s a pretty sad end’ – Departing Ocon admits P8 will be ‘tough to recover’ for Alpine after losing ground to Williams

Esteban Ocon has acknowledged that Alpine are expecting a “difficult” challenge ahead in terms of trying to reclaim eighth place in the constructors’ championship from Williams, with the Frenchman admitting that much of the season so far has been “full of problems and issues” for the squad.

After Williams bolstered their tally by taking a double-points finish in Azerbaijan, the Grove outfit now hold P8 with 16 points, giving them a three-point lead over Alpine. The Enstone team, meanwhile, have failed to score during the last three rounds in what has been an inconsistent campaign for them.

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Speaking during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Ocon was asked whether he expected Alpine to retake the position in the championship from Williams, a task that he suggested could be a “tough one”.

“It’s going to be difficult, for sure,” the 28-year-old said. “Williams are on a very upward trajectory on their side. They’ve been very quick all season and probably quicker than us most times.

“At the moment, we are ninth obviously in the constructors’ championship. It’s reflecting a bit on the car’s performance unfortunately. The whole team is trying their best to try and improve the situation, but it’s going to be a tough one to try and recover.

“We haven't given up, obviously. We are giving our best until the end of the year.”

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Reflecting further on how the season has unfolded for Alpine, Ocon added: “It’s been full of problems and issues, and we just want to be able to build something good and get some fun at the wheel for me, which is the most important [thing] and something I didn’t have for a while.”

With the final segment of 2024 approaching, Ocon is set to embark on his last six races as an Alpine driver before departing for Haas at the end of the year. As such, the Frenchman is hoping that he can still end his five-year stint with the team on a positive note.

“Even if it’s been difficult, I’m not giving up,” he explained. “I still want to finish the chapter with this team on a high. It hasn’t gone the way I would’ve liked.

“At the moment it’s a pretty sad end, unfortunately, but hopefully we can catch things up and be on the better end for the remainder of the season.”

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In terms of the drivers’ standings, Ocon sits in 18th place with five points, while team mate Pierre Gasly holds eight points in 15th.