Ocon: Renault can now fight for third in the championship
Renault’s form at the Belgian Grand Prix has left Esteban Ocon convinced the French car manufacturer is now in the fight for third place in the constructors’ championship this Formula 1 season.
The Frenchman and teammate Daniel Ricciardo helped deliver Renault its best qualifying performance since returning as a works team in Belgium, with the pair going on to finish fourth and fifth in the race.
Based on how strong the Renault was there, with hopes high for Monza this weekend too, Ocon sees a chance of it ending the campaign as best of the rest behind Mercedes and Red Bull.
Currently Renault is sixth in the standings, but is just nine points behind McLaren in third.
Asked if Renault could push itself to the front of the chasing pack for third place overall, Ocon said “Yeah, we can. We can. There's 10 more races to go, so we are only in the beginning of the season, more or less.
“There's a long, long way of course, but it's very nice to see that we are coming into that fight very nicely.
“We need to get consistent at scoring and we don't want to have a second Barcelona for sure. But when there are opportunities like this coming, what's important is to get the points and that's what we've done this weekend.”
Ricciardo says that he "expects" Renault to be bang on the pace again at the Italian Grand Prix.
“I think it can certainly be expected from us, you know, on these low downforce circuits,” he said. “Coming into Monza next week, I think we can expect to be competitive again.
“That would be certainly a pretty strong assumption at least from my side.”
Ocon said that the Belgian GP form had been a huge boost to him in particular, after a sometimes challenging first phase to his F1 return.
“I think it is very, very encouraging,” he said. “To be there with the Red Bull it's nice you know. Very, very nice. We need to do that obviously a lot more consistently.
“We seem to be quick as soon as we're running a little bit on low downforce. Silverstone was the case and in Belgium we were quick again.
“It's a shame there's not two Spa races, obviously, but we'll have a Monza so we should be quick again.”
Related video
Previous article
Gasly form not prompting Red Bull driver swap thoughts
Next article
FIA reveals plan to review F1 superlicence system
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Esteban Ocon |
| Teams | Renault F1 Team |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
#ThinkingForward with Juan Pablo Montoya
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his teammate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen's emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber teammate's own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here's how Nick Heidfeld's career was chilled by the Iceman.
