In the Belgian Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon could not advance to Q1 for the fifth time in the last six Formula 1 grands prix. With a time that placed him 18th, he will be penalized and start the race in 17th position.
In this race, which marked his debut in Formula 1 nearly ten years ago with the Manor team, Ocon finished well behind his teammate, Oliver Bearman, who set the 16th fastest time in Q1 and will start from 15th place.
Despite the disappointment, Ocon appeared surprisingly calm while speaking with the media after his qualifying session. In statements to Canal+, he commented that they expected a difficult session and that, despite the frustration, they were aware of the speed issues that plagued his car.
Ocon pointed out that his VF-26 has a top speed problem that the team has been unable to resolve over the weekend. “We are losing more than five tenths on the straights, and it’s difficult to manage that. We have tried to take advantage of the slipstream from the teammate to see if we could minimize the problem,” he said.
Additionally, Ocon mentioned that he was also experiencing a loss of downforce at the rear of the car, which complicated his qualifying even more. “We have a load problem at the rear, which causes the car to be unstable. We have been struggling since the beginning of the weekend,” he added.
Referring to his teammate, Ocon made it clear that he had not been able to give him any advantage, stating that his position on the grid was also the result of the circumstances of the session. “Only Ollie’s car is working as it should”, he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
