Alpine’s Otmar Szafnauer reflects on Ocon’s three penalties in Bahrain: “Operationally, we must do better”

It was a bittersweet season opener for BWT Alpine F1 Group, with Group Principal Otmar Szafnauer saying that he was happy to depart the Bahrain Grand Prix with factors in hand, however feels that the race revealed some shortcomings within the workforce. 

Esteban Ocon retired late within the race after accruing three separate time penalties– one for not being correctly in his field on the beginning, one other as a result of the pit crew started engaged on the automotive earlier than stated penalty was utterly served, and a last one for dashing within the pit-lane.

After dropping out on the chance to have each vehicles preventing within the factors, Szafnauer stated that the workforce wants to enhance “operationally” to be able to keep away from making the identical errors sooner or later. 

“Whereas we may be glad to return away with factors from right this moment’s race, given how all the pieces performed out, we additionally depart Bahrain understanding we have now quite a lot of laborious work forward of us. On Esteban’s aspect, and operationally, we should do higher to verify there isn’t a repeat of what occurred right this moment. 

On the opposite aspect of the storage, Pierre Gasly managed to complete the race in ninth place, recovering many positions from final place on the grid. Szafnauer was impressed by Gasly’s debut efficiency with the workforce, which bought them off the bottom by including two factors to the workforce’s tally. 

“We demonstrated that we had the tempo right this moment to have each vehicles contained in the factors and that must be the target going forwards. Pierre did a unbelievable job to place behind a really disappointing Saturday and are available again strongly to go from the again of the grid to the factors, so credit score to him on a strong debut.”

Szafnauer stated that Alpine will replicate on their time in Bahrain again at dwelling base earlier than setting off for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the place he hopes to see the workforce in even stronger kind.

“It’s been a busy and intense two weeks for the workforce in Bahrain and we look ahead to returning to Viry and Enstone, the place we are going to debrief as a workforce, earlier than returning to the observe in Jeddah the place we intention for a a lot improved efficiency.”