Alpine struck a potential £50-million windfall in Brazil on Sunday as French duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly secured second and third place respectively, salvaging the Renault-owned Formula One team’s season.
In a rain-soaked, chaotic, and crash-filled afternoon at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, the two drivers earned more than double the points they had accumulated in their previous 20 races. “We have faced difficulties in scoring points, but in these conditions, anything was possible,” said Gasly, who also secured two points with a seventh-place finish in Saturday’s sprint. Until the very end, nobody believed it. Two cars on the podium. I doubt anyone would have predicted that before the season started,” Gasly added. The 33 points obtained on Sunday brought Alpine’s total to 49 points, propelling them from ninth to sixth place in the standings, three points ahead of Haas and five points ahead of Red Bull’s RB. Considering that the distribution of prize money among the 10 teams is determined by the constructors’ championship, experts estimate that Alpine could potentially earn an additional £50 million if they manage to maintain their position for the next three races.
The mechanics and engineers in the pitlane were visibly filled with joy and relief. Ocon, who will be departing for Haas at the end of the year, celebrated his best outcome since his victory in Hungary in 2021. “What an exceptional day it was after a challenging season,” he expressed. “It’s truly delightful to drive around here and witness the performance being more balanced in the rain. The car was extremely challenging on dry terrain, but I felt much more comfortable when it started raining this morning… I absolutely adore racing in the rain. Today has delivered a remarkable race for us.” Team principal Oliver Oakes, the 36-year-old who assumed his role in August as Alpine’s fifth leader in four years, described it as a ‘tremendous’ accomplishment after Ocon qualified fourth and Gasly 15th. “We were slightly disappointed not to have both cars make it through to Q3 (the final stage of qualifying), but they have certainly made up for it now,” he commented.
“This team is truly exceptional, it always has been,” he added, referring to the Enstone-based team that achieved championships as Benetton and Renault in the past.
“It’s clear that the team had a challenging beginning to the season, and the past 12-18 months have not been indicative of their true identity. However, I can honestly attest that since my arrival, the team has displayed remarkable resilience, and the spirit within them is evident. This upcoming winter holds promise for us, as it is crucial in building momentum for our journey ahead.”
