Esteban Ocon feels the BWT Alpine F1 Team learned a lot during the three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit last week as everyone prepares to start the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.
Alpine did not go for ultimate lap time throughout the three days of testing in Bahrain, but Ocon feels the team made a lot of progress with the development of the A532 that should give them a good platform to build on.
The Frenchman remains confident that the team can hit the ground running in 2023 and build on what was an impressive 2022 campaign for them, with Alpine looking to close the gap to the leading three teams and fight more regularly for potential podiums this season.
“It’s been good to properly kick off the new season and put the A523 to the test here in Bahrain,” said Ocon, who scored his maiden Formula 1 win with Alpine back in 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
“There was much to learn during these last three days and we definitely did a good job to cover many different areas. We tried a variety of set-up items and tyre choices, and operationally we managed to have a good feel for what works well.
“This has given us a strong direction to follow and now we’ll have the next few days to look at data and debrief all together to be as ready as possible for the first race weekend of the year.”
Ocon and the rest of the field will next be on track for the opening free practice session of the season in Bahrain this Friday.