Esteban Ocon: “It was a crazy race from the very start to the end”

Esteban Ocon took a surprise but well-received maiden Formula 1 victory in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Frenchman staying out of trouble at the start and taking advantage of Lewis Hamilton’s failure to pit on the restart to secure the win at the Hungaroring.

The Alpine F1 Team driver held off the race-long challenge of Sebastian Vettel to secure his first Grand Prix triumph, and his first race win anywhere since triumphing during his championship-winning GP3 Series season in 2015.

Ocon admits the feeling of becoming a race winner in Formula 1 has not yet sunk in, but he was delighted with the performance throughout the race, both from the pit wall and from himself as he attempted to keep ahead of Vettel/

“Formula 1 Grand Prix winner, it’s unbelievable and it definitely has not sunk in yet,” said Ocon.  “What a moment, allez les bleus!

“It was a crazy race from the very start to the end. There were a lot of decisions to make and the team executed that really well along with the crew who did a mega pit-stop, which was crucial to staying in front of Sebastian [Vettel].

“I was happy to manage the pace as best as possible at the front and it all worked out well today.”

Ocon praised team-mate Fernando Alonso for his part in the victory, with the Spaniard holding off the challenge of the recovering Hamilton long enough for him to be able to keep ahead of the seven-time World Champion.

“What a fight from Fernando too, his amazing teamwork at the end played a huge part in the win and it was great to share the moment with him,” said Ocon.

“I can’t be thankful enough for the team’s work and support and it’s all paid off today. A big thanks as well to everyone at Enstone and Viry – this is for you!”

“We can execute races close to perfection if luck is with us” – Fernando Alonso

After the titanic battle with Hamilton, Alonso ultimately ended up finishing fifth, with the Spaniard ending up on the back of Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. This would become fourth when Vettel was later disqualified for a technical infringement.

Alonso lost a couple of places at the start after ending up taking avoiding action around the damaged and spun cars at turn one, but after that he drove a strong race and was always in the fight for the top five.

The forty-year-old veteran even managed to lead a race for the first time since 2014, but he was happy to see Ocon take his maiden victory and the first ever win for the Alpine name in Formula 1 at the same venue he took his own first win in the sport back in 2003.

“It was a very long race, very tough, and we were fighting all the way through,” said Alonso.  “The start was key – I was a bit unlucky and lost some positions, but some were even unluckier than me.

“It compromised our race a little, however, top five is the best result of the year for me so far, but winning the race for the team is the best result ever. Now we have quite some history on this track!

“My first victory came here with Renault in 2003, now Esteban has won as Alpine in 2021. I am so happy for him and for the guys. Sometimes we have been unlucky but today was one of the lucky days and we have to maximise these opportunities.

“We can execute races close to perfection if luck is with us. We’ve been up and down, but we can now look forward to the future and repeat the success of the past. These boosts motivate us, and we can go into the break with a smile on our faces.”

Alonso and Ocon celebrate after Sunday’s race in Hungary – Credit: FIA Pool