Alpine’s Esteban Ocon Prepares For “Emotional” Return To Hungarian GP

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon has admitted to feeling “emotional” ahead of returning to Hungarian Grand Prix, where he claimed his maiden F1 win in 2021.

A red flag due to first-lap chaos on a damp track and a well-timed pit stop for slick tyres at end of the second formation lap on Lap 3 saw Ocon claim the lead in 2021, although he eventually fought off a race-long battle with Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel to claim his maiden victory in F1.

A second win around the Hungaroring this weekend seems unlikely but Ocon is already feeling the moods of returning to the scene of his maiden F1 win, as he explained: “I feel good, and it will be emotional to be back in Budapest for sure.

“I can already feel all the memories of last year coming back. But that was last year, and we need to be fully focused as a team to deliver another solid weekend.”

This weekend though will mark the final race ahead of the 2022 summer break but Ocon is determined to go into his holidays with Alpine sat fourth in the constructor standings, after the team snatched the position from McLaren last weekend at his home race in France.

Explaining his aims for the weekend, Ocon said: “It will be important to go into the shutdown with a feeling of having really cemented that fourth spot in the Constructors’ Championship.

“We know it will be difficult, but we have the team and the tools to do just that. We will be giving it one last push before a well-earned break for the team who have worked incredibly hard all year.”

Ocon also reflected on his home race in which he benefitted from penalties elsewhere to recover from 12th in Qualifying to start 10th on the grid, which eventually became an eighth-placed finish with the Frenchman left “definitely happy” with the result.

Alpine teammate, Fernando Alonso meanwhile finished sixth to secure a double-points finish for Alpine at their home race, which Ocon admitted was their ambition in front of home fans

This year however could be the last time that the French Grand Prix is held which Ocon is disappointed about as he explained: “It would be difficult to see an F1 calendar without a Grand Prix in France, a country with so much motorsport heritage, so I really hope we will be racing in front of our home fans next year.”