The French workforce slipped down F1’s pecking order in its transition to its new A524 chassis, and has did not recapture its common place in difficult for factors from final season because the early-spec automotive has lacked outright tempo.
This has coincided with a wider efficiency hole between the highest 5 groups and the underside 5, successfully leaving the drivers within the latter group having to attend for retirements with a view to declare factors.
After the quintet of Crimson Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin locked out the highest 10 within the Bahrain opener, Lance Stroll’s early retirement from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix opened a chance for a sixth workforce to hassle the scorers – which Haas and Nico Hulkenberg duly took in Jeddah.
Ocon says that the present chasm in efficiency signifies that well-executed races will possible yield little in reward, which he admitted was robust to swallow.
“It is the worst feeling you will have, and I actually hate that while you do an excellent weekend, and I am not in a position to enter the highest 10 and rating factors within the race, there isn’t any reward for you on the finish,” Ocon mentioned.
“But it surely’s as much as us to try to work out, and get extra efficiency and get nearer to those automobiles.
“It is robust to undergo a weekend and push as exhausting as you may, additionally mentally to be doing the utmost, understanding that there might be no reward in the long run.
“But it surely’s a part of the job; you could do the perfect you may with what you will have in hand, and that is why I am right here.”
Esteban Ocon, Alpine
Photograph by: Alpine
RB’s Daniel Ricciardo was extra hopeful in his evaluation of the present pecking order, suggesting that any given circuit may create a scenario the place one of many prime 5 groups falls down the order.
He used final 12 months’s Mexican Grand Prix for example, the place the Australian put his automotive fourth on the grid regardless of the then-AlphaTauri workforce having been glued to the underside of the constructors’ championship all through most of 2023.
“My strategy is ‘perhaps this observe fits us greater than the final observe’; these items will also be very observe dependent,” the Australian remarked.
” more often than not the place the quick automobiles are, however Mexico final 12 months we had been final in constructors on the time I certified fourth.Â
“Coming into that weekend, nobody would have ever anticipated that. You may have an excellent weekend like that and drive properly, no matter, however the automotive clearly works higher in that circuit.Â
“So there’s all the time little bit of hope that you just additionally maintain on to coming into each weekend, so I am all the time excited.”
Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas urged that extending the points-paying positions past the highest 10 would assist given the present unfold of efficiency, and inject extra battles into the underside half of the order.
That being mentioned, he added that it won’t be mandatory if the 2026 guidelines create a extra diversified area.
“On this scenario, I feel [awarding points outside of the top 10] can be extra optimum. However who is aware of what the longer term holds?” the Finn defined.
“Perhaps with the brand new regs in 26, perhaps it is going to be extra combined, so then prime 10 is sufficient.Â
“However, now it appears to be fairly clear order when it comes to the highest 5 groups. After that, it’s shut. However Hulkenberg scored just one level proper, so he is just one driver in that different finish who has scored.
“It might truly imply that if you’re in P15 in direction of the top of the race, you continue to maintain preventing and making an attempt to get to the factors. That may be completely different.”
Extra reporting by Matt Kew
