Esteban Ocon Reflects on Bahrain Recovery, Team Progress Ahead of Challenging Weekend
Esteban Ocon expressed renewed confidence in his Haas team during Thursday’s media round ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, following a strong recovery drive in Bahrain that delivered a double points finish for the team. The Frenchman opened up about race strategy, tire management, car development and the intense learning curve of the 2025 season so far.
“It wasn’t a bad scene for us,” Ocon said of the previous race. “We just stuck to our plan and it worked. I was expecting to lose all the positions at the end with the safety car, especially on the hard tire, but it benefited Ollie [Bearman], and we got a double points finish, which we should be proud of.”
Ocon highlighted the team’s decision not to pit under the safety car as a pivotal moment. While other drivers struggled with degradation or made late strategy changes, Alpine’s consistency proved crucial. “We had driven that tire a lot in testing, and probably that helped us… I’m not going to say it was the best tire ever, but we were okay with it,” he said.
Despite limited preparation due to earlier practice struggles, Ocon praised the team’s swift turnaround and data-driven approach. “It was not the nicest build-up. We struggled quite a bit in practice, but we started to find out from the data where the issues came from,” he noted.
In qualifying, Ocon admitted a costly mistake denied him a Q3 spot, but he took encouragement from how the race unfolded. “We overtook probably three or four cars on strategy from P15. I went up to where Pierre [Gasly] was – he started fourth – and we were fighting on track. That shows we were where we should have been.”
When asked about his adaptation to the car and team systems, Ocon acknowledged progress but also underlined that he’s still learning. “We’re very far from where I was with my previous team in terms of knowing every switch and system. But from race two, everything on the control side – engine, brakes, torque – has worked super well.”
He emphasized the challenge of extracting consistent performance amid the tight midfield battle. “Out of the four races we’ve done, we got the maximum out of the car on two occasions. That’s 50%. It’s not great, but it’s something to build on.”
Looking ahead to the weekend, Ocon remained cautiously optimistic. “It’s a track I really enjoy. I almost got a podium here the first time I raced. But it’s extremely risky – you’re doing 300 km/h through blind corners. It’s nuts. It’s fun, but you’re glad when it’s over and you’ve got a decent result.”
Ocon also praised the team’s rapid development pace following early-season struggles. “It was a massive shock to see we were three seconds off. But the team reacted fast. I’ve never seen updates arrive that quickly. It’s extremely satisfying to work with a group that takes action like that.”
When asked about Haas’s smaller structure compared to some rivals or his previous teams, Ocon was clear: “From where I’m sitting, this team is reacting faster than I’ve ever seen. Producing solutions, analyzing data – it’s been impressive.”
Haas F1 with Ayoa Komatsu in the lead enters the weekend looking to build on the momentum from Bahrain, with both drivers aiming for consistent top-10 performances and continued development of the VF-24.
