Esteban Ocon reckons the Alpine PU is one of the better parts of the package regardless of issues about its reliability.
Alpine had gambled on a Power Unit this season that had questionable reliability but was a step up in terms of performance. While reliability remained a question mark, and both drivers suffered from it throughout the year (Fernando Alonso faring worse than Esteban Ocon), the team secured P4 in the championship.
Arguably one of the signs of an improved performance from the Alpine package could be seen in Barcelona, Brazil and Spa, where Ocon roared through the field and scored strong point finishes.
Talking to the media, including PlanetF1.com, when asked about the Alpine PU, Ocon said that it was one of the better parts of the package and cited races like Brazil where he made his way through the field. He said:
“I think it’s very good; it’s one of our good assets. As we’ve seen in Brazil, we had good straight-line speed, very good, I was quite impressed with that we were able to do good overtakes. I don’t have the numbers. I’m not really too curious on that side. I let the engineer look at that, but it’s definitely working well.”
Ocon (92) finished eighth in the driver standings.
Esteban Ocon feels he has made a step forward this season
The French driver had a strong 2022 F1 season, becoming only the second driver to beat Fernando Alonso in the same team.
The reliability issues faced by the Spaniard surely played a role, but Ocon was never too far behind his teammate. It was an intense battle between the two and showed how much improvement Ocon has made. Reflecting on his season, the Frenchman said:
“On a personal note, I feel I’ve made a step on a lot of things. I feel like I’ve been getting the maximum out of the car more times than I did last year. On many more occasion, I’ve been able to plan things, see things earlier in the simulator, and get more ready early on in the season.”
Esteban Ocon will team up with fellow French driver Pierre Gasly at Alpine next season. The two drivers have a history of growing up together and falling out with each other too. Nevertheless, with both grown up now, the association should yield strong results for the French team.
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