Alpine F1 team aim for glory at Jeddah Corniche Circuit
All smiles in the paddock as the curtain rises on the fourth Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
It has been far from an ideal start to the 2024 season for the Alpine F1 Team, but drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are all smiles settling into familiar surroundings at Jeddah Corniche Circuit as the curtain rises on the fourth Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“I’ve really liked the track since I came here in the first year and I had a very good race back then, almost finishing on the podium for third in the last 50 meters,” Ocon, 27, told Arab News, recalling his outstanding drive in 2021.
“It was definitely a great experience, feeling the flow of the track, the grip that it has and just the layout in general. I think it’s a beautiful circuit. So yeah, can’t wait to race this track again.”
Gasly, 28, echoed Ocon’s sentiments about a circuit that has served Alpine well and hopes it will provide a platform for improvement in Saturday’s big race.
“I must say I like the track,” he said. “It’s a very high-speed layout, a lot of high-speed corners, long straights. It’s definitely fun to drive around here.”
“We had a very tough first race last week in Bahrain and we know the car is not where we would like it to be in terms of performance. We have no upgrade this weekend, so we expect another tough weekend, but hopefully maybe on a slightly different track, hopefully it can be slightly better.
“Obviously we
not as competitive as we were toward the end of last year. But on this track, we’ve always done better than at the other races. And I hope that we can make a little step forward, to be fighting with our competitors more closely. We’re going to look to be doing that.”