Podium the ‘Only Thing’ Missing in 2022 Amid Best Season So Far for Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon feels his 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season was his best year so far in the sport, and all that was missing from it was a top three finish.

Ocon finished eighth in the Drivers’ Championship with ninety-two points, with his best finish coming in the Japanese Grand Prix when he finished fourth, and his performances helped the BWT Alpine F1 Team secure fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

The Frenchman says the targets the team set out were accomplished during the 2022 season, and he hopes they can build on their performance in 2023.

“I think it does,” Ocon is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com when asked if 2022 represented his best season in Formula 1.  “The only thing that I missed this year is in the end a podium. But for different circumstances we didn’t get those, but hopefully we can get some of that next year.

“All the targets that we set ourselves are accomplished. We finished fourth in the constructors’ championship. It is also my best season in Formula 1 in terms of points.

“I’m very pleased with that, good job by the whole team to have developed the car so much, and over the year. Hopefully we can close even more the gap for next year.”

A lot of talk has been the fact that Ocon was able to outscore Fernando Alonso, not just in 2022 but overall during their time as team-mates.  Alonso has been outspoken about reliability issues mostly affecting him, but Ocon says there was issues on his side of the garage as well.

“I had my issues too,” Ocon insisted.  “It feels good, it feels good I would say. He’s a very, very fast driver.

“I had to up my game as much as I could. To finish in front of him is good satisfaction this year.”

Ocon believes that Alpine were the fourth best team throughout 2022, and it was only close with the McLaren F1 Team in the final standings due to their reliability issues.

“We were the fourth-best team, yes, but McLaren were very fast at times, and they outscored us in the beginning of the season,” Ocon said.

“So, it was not that straightforward in the first part of the year.”