HOW DID ALPINE’S DOUBLE PODIUM MAKE THE TEAM 30 MILLION DOLLARS?
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s double podium in Brazil and Alpine’s rise from ninth to sixth in the championship have potentially made a $30 million difference in the cash prize at the end of the year.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly decided not to enter the pit in the rainy Interlagos race unlike the other pilots and took over this track position.Then a well-timed red flag allowed the Alpine pilots and Max Verstappen to change their tires without wasting time on the pit.
Although Ocon, the leader, managed to open the gap with Verstappen in the first start, the Dutch pilot was switched after another safety car.Nevertheless, the team experienced the joy of victory because they took the podium with both pilots after the difficult season.This result is not just a support for the Enstone team and the new team boss Oliver Oakes. It can also make a difference of about $30 million in prize money as it causes the team to rise from ninth to sixth place.
Oakes said, “This is a great result for both me and the team. This is a really big result in the last few years, or even after the beginning of this year.”
“This helps us maintain confidence in the team. In the period up to Austin, I could see that expectations from the team had subsidered, because it was really difficult to develop the car, especially during the season.”
“I heard words of praise for bringing performance to the car at Austin and it was nice to support it with points in Mexico. Seeing another development here definitely helps.”
“I thank everyone in Enstone and Viry because it means a lot to them. The pilots did not take a single wrong step in difficult conditions. It was a really good day in terms of strategy and decisions,” he said.
