Esteban Ocon failed to accompany his team mate into Q3 yesterday but said neither Alpine driver got the most out of their car.
While Pierre Gasly ended Q2 in fifth place, Ocon missed the cut for the final 10 by less than seven-hundredths of a second. Gasly went on to take 10th on the after a mistake on his final lap.
Ocon said the session was “so frustrating” for the team. “But that time it’s my bad and our fault as drivers this time because we had the pace as a team to get into Q3, probably to be near the top five, I would say sixth or seventh.”
He owned up to an error on his final lap which cost him a place in Q3. “Unfortunately, I made a mistake in turn one and my lap was gone, and I almost went through with only one set of tyres in Q2,” he said. “That’s how good the pace was.
“And unfortunately at the end in Q3 there was also a mistake from Pierre. So we really tried to push the boundaries and we missed out that time. So we need to do better for the next one.”
Gasly said he was pleased to have secured Alpine’s first Q3 appearance of the season. “It was incredible,” he said. “First Q3 of the year for the team.
“We knew coming here it was a track of opportunities and took a lot of risk, touched the wall way too many times but it was definitely worth it. And to make it to that top 10 we had to go all-out. I’m very pleased for the guys, we’re progressing.”
However Gasly also admitted he made a mistake on his final lap. “Unfortunately in Q3 I went a bit too far, touched the wall I think in the chicane and we had a puncture so I could not do a proper lap. But all in all it’s satisfying to be back in Q3.”
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