"I have a good relationship with Alonso"

Polite, courteous and smiling. He could be the perfect son -in -law. Is what it seems Stephen Ocon (September 17, 1996, Évreux, France) when you chat with him briefly. MD did this at a round table of Alpine Spain along with a small group of Spanish press in Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The personality is in contrast to the one he has on the track, where he is a fighter and does not shrink before anyone. In this course we even saw him fight Alonso Bahrain and Jeddahagainst his partner, something Stephen believes things are taken out of context.

Will you be satisfied with repeating last year’s success this year?

Of course. It will be amazing to repeat the success. But honestly, we’re not in that position right now, we’re not fast enough to keep fighting for podiums for wins. The car was fast in qualifying. We finished fifth in qualifying, but we had to work a little more at racing speed to perform the car like other cars, like the Williams, which are very fast in racing but suffer more in qualifying. There is something to be understood and we need to strive for it until the last race and continue in this direction.

The team underwent several management changes before the season. Could it have affected how seamless the set was in different places?

I do not agree. I think, if we continue the good we did last year, I don’t think we’re going to have more problems than last year. The car is faster than last year. We had some issues initially with reliability, but we made it and we weren’t the only ones who had it. They are new cars, new rules and a completely new design. And we strive not to have more problems than last year.

An Alpine was seen suffering greatly from tire damage. Although Alonso said that in Miami, with higher temperatures, this problem did not bother him because other teams suffered from it.

Yes, there are things we need to understand in order to optimize them for the race every Sunday. We’re working in that direction, with a longer run of more consecutive laps in Free Practice to be better at racing. We are not the only ones trying to make sense of things. We were all studying lap after lap.

Regulations have changed but Alpine’s position on the grid remains the same.

I think, if Fernando hadn’t had the bad luck he had, we would probably be fourth in the World Cup today. We have a points deficit compared to what we should. We’ve seen some teams thrive, like Alfa Romeo, others completely defeated, like Mercedes, dominating and now suffering even more … We’re closer to the top than last year at the time. The difference is small. We have made improvements that have continually improved the car.

How do you see Fernando Alonso? Seems just motivated?

Of course! Fernando is always motivated (laughs). Every time he gets in the car he wants to beat anyone. Even in go-karting.

True, both shared a day of karting at the Fernando Alonso Museum Circuit in Asturias with Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales. as usual?

Fernando took the time to visit me at his museum. We were at an event and it was so much fun, with Fernando and other drivers racing the karts. This is a beautiful day. Amazing. Fernando showed me his museum and both he and his father (José Luis) were very kind to me. And then I sent him a message saying thank you very much for what you did because it was exciting. When I saw that car, which I watched on television when I was a child … where he fought Michael Schumacher … When I saw that, I had a dream, I thought about what it would mean for me to experience the sensations that in the future (to be champion). It’s something that motivates me more to perform. A go-kart track, a museum … you know, I think we have a lot in common, Fernando and I. I do everything to compete. This is how my life is, and he’s just running around thinking too.

How do you feel in the car? In some races, Alonso seems to have a bit of speed, though you get to score more points.

I think it’s very even between the two. There are days when he is faster and I learn from it. And I’m different and he’s learning from me. And that’s what drives the team to be better. I feel at my best. Although there is always something to improve.

For years, would you rather share a team with an experienced driver like Alonso, or with a novice like Piastri?

I think you still learned. Collaborating with a legend like Alonso is a privilege. It’s great to look at their work from the inside and when you’re young you want to experience and see things like that. I am so thankful for working alongside her and we have great stories to write together in the future. But I think you always learn, no matter what partner you are. Every pilot works differently.

What point would you highlight more about Alonso?

His motivation and his hunger to win.

Do you still have a plan for him?

Yes why not? We both want to win. We are not in that position.

Is your relationship still good despite the track battle in Bahrain and Jeddah?

(Laughter). In Spain you make something big from something nothing. I have a lot of respect for Fernando. I really enjoyed my time with him. And if anything was wrong with the two of us, he wouldn’t have taken the time to show me his museum with his father. I enjoyed and we had a good relationship. Honestly, I don’t know why such stories are fabricated (laughs).

Alpine is one of the teams with the smallest changes here in Barcelona. Are you worried?

We are driving hard. We have been doing this for a long time. Sometimes an evolution is tested on one car and sometimes on another, because the factory is in the lead, and I try to get the best performance out of the car. We want to improve. Look at Otmar and Laurent. They are here to win. We are not here to be in the dark and that is the reason why when we negotiated my contract renewal, the first thing that said was that our objective is to get closer and closer and be the team to follow as soon as possible.

Could it be a difficult career for you without so many new parts?

Why so much negativity? (Laughter). You can wear a lot of new things, but you can be two or three tenths slower … How do you know that the things they wear will work for them? And we’ve also brought in small new parts to previous races. They are all small steps forward. But the thing is, some teams can be better, or they can get worse. I spoke to Seb (Vettel) and he told me that they didn’t expect there to be a big improvement. And if it works, then we’ll take pictures and spy. It’s about exploiting 100% of the car. That is the goal.

How much is left for that to happen?

I do not know. I go to the factory twice a week. I’m not sleeping. I give everything and both the factory and our bosses work hard to achieve this.

Do you think Mercedes can compete with Ferrari and Red Bull all year long?

We’ll know after this race because they brought huge improvements, from what I’ve heard. We know how dangerous it is for them to make fast cars. They will fix the situation.