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Despite their turbulent start to the season, Esteban Ocon believes that Alpine can still challenge the top teams this year.
Alpine began the season aiming to move up the grid after finishing fourth in the constructor's standings in 2022. However, the French team did not have an ideal start to the campaign in Bahrain, which was followed by crashes in Australia and a calamitous weekend in Azerbaijan.
However, Ocon remains confident in the team's ability to continue their push towards the top of the grid. The French driver, who bagged his maiden podium finish in F1 at the Monaco Grand Prix last month, has praised the team for getting their season back on track in recent races.
Speaking about Alpine's prospects this season ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Ocon said:
"We can be proud of how the team has bounced back following a difficult start to the season, which we know was below our expectations. We are fighters and we believe we can challenge our competitors on the track like we’ve shown already at races this season. Every race is an opportunity for this, and we are glad we can have another go this weekend in Montreal."
Ocon's podium in the Monaco was Alpine's first since Fernando Alonso's P3 finish at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon changes Alpine's overall form after CEO Laurent Rossi demand for improvement
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi lashed out at the team for their "amateurism" following their underwhelming start to the season, which saw three point-less finishes in the first four races.
Speaking about Alpine's start to the season, Rossi said:
“It makes for a difficult year ahead. The season is still young. I don’t want to give up, but a couple of things need to change. We need to continue reinforcing the team to get the performance back."
Rossi's comments seem to have worked, as both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have recorded points finishes in each of the three races since. After a podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, Ocon is hopeful that this is the first of many wins for Alpine in 2023.
Elaborating on his first taste of success, Ocon said:
“Now that we’ve tasted it, we always need to aim to make it happen again, so I’m hoping it’s the first of many this season. That’s what we need to look at, I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen."
Alpine are currently fifth in the constructor's standings, 60 points behind fourth-placed Ferrari.
