Esteban Ocon has urged his Alpine Formula 1 team to find answers about his lack of pace compared to team-mate Pierre Gasly since the United States Grand Prix.
Ocon had outqualified Gasly 14 times to seven in the first 21 qualifying and sprint qualifying sessions of the season, but the trend changed over the Austin weekend.
Since then, Ocon has only managed to outqualify his team-mate once, finishing an average of over three tenths slower over the six grid-deciding sessions since the US GP.
The Frenchman finished down in 17th place in the last race in Las Vegas, where Gasly qualified third and was running in the top 10 before an engine problem forced him into retirement.
“I think, you know, one car, Pierre, was quick since Austin,” Ocon said after the Las Vegas race.
“Unfortunately, we are not fast since Austin and that could cost us as well in the championship.
“So we need to figure out what exactly is going on and hopefully improve the situation for the next two. But yeah, at the moment it seems difficult for us.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“I was counting a little bit more on a high degradation race, more of the tyre management race like last year to be able to fight back.
“And that’s what we were doing well, but unfortunately when you drive through for nothing and you put yourself into that penalty then it’s not good,” said Ocon after losing a lot of time when he drove into the pits only to find his mechanics weren’t ready.
Ocon said in Las Vegas that he hoped Alpine was treating him fairly, and team boss Oliver Oakes insisted both cars were exactly the same.
“Yeah, obviously I saw his comment – he has sort of been a little bit off Pierre compared to where he liked to be,” said Oakes.
“But, from our side, both cars are the same, they’ve got the upgrade – just something that we can keep looking into to make it more comfortable.”
Ocon also dismissed that he was struggling with the under-rotation of the car compared to Gasly’s: “No, it’s clearly not that for sure.”
He added: “We will see. We are working with the team to try and improve the situation. But yeah, since Austin, it seems to not work at all. And we need to make sure that this is not the case anymore.”
Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of the season to join Oliver Bearman at Haas.
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