Esteban Ocon admits that Alpine is braced for the worst-case scenario heading into the Bahrain Grand Prix after the team has missed targets with its 2024 Formula 1 car.
Alpine has elected to opt for a radical overhaul of its design concept for this season having hit a development ceiling last term that saw it drop to sixth in the standings.
Both drivers had been briefed ahead of the shakedown of the A524 that Alpine could encounter a slow opening to the campaign as it bids to understand its new package.
That was reflected on the timesheets in pre-season testing in Bahrain last week as Ocon and team-mate Pierre Gasly languished in 16th and 17th positions respectively.
Although Ocon concedes that he is primed for a challenging start, he has asserted that he will continue to deliver at his maximum level irrespective of the team’s standing.
“If things don’t go to plan, obviously yes I’m prepared for that,” Ocon said regarding being prepared for the worst. “But we haven’t driven the car yet in full competition order.
“We don’t know exactly. You guys [the media] are selling it [as] the worst. It is a possibility, because we haven’t pulled it together with everyone else. But it’s not over.
“There are still going to be things to play for this year. And I need to keep on pushing. Because if you start that low, and with how you guys are speaking, I can quit and just exit the paddock right now. But no, that’s not who I am.”
Ocon has echoed the comments of Alpine Team Principal Bruno Famin in remaining bullish about the Enstone squad’s chances of turning its fortunes around later on.
“Some targets have been missed in terms of timeline, but it still doesn’t mean that we can’t achieve them at some point along the season,” he claimed.
“As a competitive team, no-one is happy having a challenging start. This wasn’t the idea. But this is now the situation that we are in and we are facing it together as a team.
“We’ve got to look forward and come up with the solutions because we know we have some solutions. Whether it’s short-term or medium-term, at the minute, that’s all I’m thinking about.
“There is an explanation of why we are here. At the end of the day, what matters right now, as of today, is how fast we’re going to be able to improve that car we have.”
Famin all but confirmed that Alpine must strive to cut the excess weight in its A524 machine while also seeking to add downforce to compete against its competitors.
However, Ocon has pinpointed one particular area of the Anglo-French marque’s package which has provided the most notable limitation to its overall competitiveness.
“There is one bigger one than the others,” Ocon expanded. “Most of the smaller problems we were able to fix in the three days of tests which has been good.
“So we had a good feeling over a lap in the car, which nice to drive, basically in terms of balance. But we’ve identified the issue clearly, so that’s what we’re going to be chasing.”
When asked how long it could be before Alpine puts in place a fix for that specific issue, Ocon replied: “It’s going to take time. I’m sure there are quite a lot of things that we can still get better, but it will take time with the development of the car.”
