Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly qualified in 19th and 20th positions, respectively, for the season opener at the Bahrain GP. Ocon received assistance from the reigning world champion team Red Bull during the first qualifying session.
In the first qualifying session of the season opener, Ocon was the fastest in Q1 among the other 15 drivers who advanced to the second session. However, both Alpine drivers failed to set a good enough time to stay above the elimination zone of the session. Eventually, another driver claimed pole position for Saturday’s race.
As a result, Ocon would start in 19th position and Gasly would start the race in last position. Gasly also qualified in 20th position for the 2023 Bahrain GP session, but finished in 9th place in the race. The developments that Enstone brings to the challenger for tomorrow’s main race will determine their performance.
During the weighing in parc fermé for the cars eliminated from Q1, Esteban Ocon was the last driver to undergo chassis weighing. Two Red Bull employees were present to help cool the brakes of the driver during the weighing. Despite the assistance, Ocon failed to escape the Q1 elimination zone.
Due to the poor qualifying performance of the Alpine drivers, they will need to work hard to score some points in the main race. Ocon and Gasly will occupy the last row of the grid at the start of the race, putting extra pressure on the team. The Alpine team will have to ensure maximum efficiency during pit stops and race strategies.
Gasly started the 2023 Bahrain GP in 20th position as well, but managed to score points in the race by finishing in 9th place. Both drivers have been consistently working to score better points in the 2024 campaign for Enstone. They will try to maximize the results in the race and hope to score some points in the season opener in Bahrain.
In addition to Alpine, both Kick Sauber drivers were also eliminated from Q1, along with the Williams driver. Logan Sargeant was also eliminated from the session and will start the race in 18th position tomorrow. Max Verstappen has shown great pace in the qualifying session and is likely the favorite to win the race.
