“We've not all the time been listened to. And that is why a few of the points nonetheless stay after 5 years on this workforce.”
That is how Esteban Ocon assessed his time inside the Alpine squad proper earlier than Formulation 1's 2024 summer season break, which got here earlier than he had even departed the Enstone-based outfit.
On the time, Ocon had simply signed with Haas for 2025; he was already pledging to create a “circle” of communication with a view to create an environment friendly working atmosphere – in distinction to Alpine, the place the issues that he reported worsened as an alternative of being fastened, he lamented.
One 12 months later and 14 grands prix into his first season with Haas, Ocon's evaluation is evident: he has discovered precisely the workforce he was in search of.
“In comparison with my earlier expertise, it is a wholesome atmosphere,” the previous Alpine driver informed Autosport. “As I stated, nobody's hiding behind something. If we do not do one thing proper, we speak about it and hope to not do it once more. And we speak about it right away on the finish of the race.
“And that is good, as a result of in case you do not speak about it – which is what I've skilled earlier than – you then [are] going to do it once more. That is the principle factor.
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff, together with his race engineer Laura Mueller
Picture by: Peter Fox / Getty Photographs
“This workforce is extremely motivated. It may possibly sound loopy, however I've seen some individuals not motivated up to now, even working within the Formulation 1 paddock. That is in all probability the worst factor.
“As a driver like me – who places his coronary heart and sweat into the work, to do all the things good earlier than I get to the monitor – if you flip up and also you see any person taking a look at his check-in on Monday, it is fairly powerful. And I've seen that previously.
“Now, I am not going to say all the things's good. There are issues that we have to enhance, clearly. However, we've a really strong base to work on since I joined, and we're transferring ahead. And I am glad with the best way it is going.”
Ocon was impressed with Haas proper from the beginning, because the workforce swiftly redesigned its steering wheel in keeping with his private preferences.
“Designing a steering wheel with a double clutch, it took them a month, which was ridiculous,” the Frenchman enthused. “I used to be extremely stunned with that, and I've by no means seen every other workforce do this, even the large ones that I labored with. Usually it takes numerous time for that to return.
“We had been claimed to be the smallest workforce. We're. However, you already know, a few of these reactions are high class.”
Haas additionally bounced again after a poor Australian Grand Prix efficiency, with each vehicles unstable at excessive pace; Ocon and team-mate Oliver Bearman certified and completed on the backside of the timesheets in Melbourne, which workforce boss Ayao Komatsu referred to as a “bomb” after the outfit completed seventh within the 2024 constructors' championship.
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs
5 months later, Haas could also be simply ninth within the standings, however it has collected a whopping 35 factors – 2.50 factors per grand prix, its second-best common over 10 F1 seasons.
“I used to be speaking to Ayao about many issues within the workforce and I used to be truthfully tremendous impressed concerning the response that they received after that race,” Ocon stated. “Nobody was hiding. Everybody got here as one, all collectively as an actual workforce, to attempt to repair a few of the points that we had been having in that first week in Australia.
“After which we arrived in China and we managed to show issues round fully. That is no luck. That is the ambiance that there's inside this workforce. There is no such thing as a hiding behind or pointing to at least one individual.”
Nonetheless, there stays a lot room for enchancment if Haas is to develop into a frontrunner, with Ocon pinning his hopes on the brand new technical guidelines coming into power for the 2026 marketing campaign.
“We simply want a quicker platform,” he insisted. “Clearly, we'll see what subsequent 12 months brings. And we have to end this 12 months on a excessive, additionally. But when we've a platform to battle greater up, we might be able to battle the larger guys, 100%. We simply must have one thing first rate to work on the racetrack, after which we'll handle it.”
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