Alpine driver Esteban Ocon says ending the team’s 13-year losing streak in the 2021 season will propel them to more success in the upcoming Formula 1 campaign.
Ocon won the Hungarian Grand Prix to end the trophy drought at the team, which has alleviated pressure for everyone at Alpine. This means, according to Ocon, they can press for more victories in the coming year.
“It was a great feeling and I’m also glad we’ve got that away also for the team,” he told Motorsport.com. “Obviously it was the first win since the Renault comeback in the new era of F1, so next time – hopefully soon – that we will be in that position we will know how it feels. We don’t have as much pressure, we can just do our job and make it happen.
“In my case, I’m still working the same way I did. The guys I have around me, of course they were really pleased with having that win, it was the first for many of them. But we want to have more of those moments, not only one.
“We know we have a long way and hard work coming up, but it felt obviously good and I’m proud to have lived that with them, with such a talented bunch of people.”
Ocon not only wants to challenge for more wins but for the world title and has explained that he wishes to be among the title battle in 2022.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are thought to be the two front-runners once again in the upcoming season, but Ocon is targeting an upset.
He said: “When you see those fights between Lewis and Max, you want to get involved. I’m not going to lie, it would be fantastic to be able to fight for wins and podiums all the time.
“Hopefully F1 will go that way, and with the new regulations, this seems like a dream. Hopefully it will become a reality.”
