Singapore Grand Prix Recap: A Conversation with Alpine Drivers Esteban Ocon & Pierre Gasly

Last week, the 15th edition of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix saw Lando Norris secure a dominant victory in his McLaren, narrowing the gap in the title fight with Max Verstappen.

The race also marked the end of Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career, at least for now, as the honey badger is set to be replaced from the next race in Austin.

Before the busy race weekend, we had the privilege of visiting the Alpine F1 Team garage for a behind-the-scenes tour and a chat with Formula One drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, thanks to Alpine Singapore and the Alpine F1 Team.

What is the biggest challenge for you on a street circuit like Singapore?

Pierre Gasly:

"Singapore’s biggest challenge is the conditions. It’s very hard, very unique, and a physical challenge for every driver on the grid. It’s a street track, which always offers more risk being so close to the rails and at high speeds in the middle of the street, so there’s a lot less margin for error compared to a traditional track. It’s also usually the longest race of the year, up to two hours of concentration. Mentally, it’s a real challenge, but that’s why I like it, and it gets me very excited every time I come here."

Esteban Ocon:

"First of all, it’s a very long street circuit. It’s like 31 laps, whereas in Monaco you’re doing around 77, so it is a big difference. The race is very long, and it's super humid and hot for us. The track has evolved in the last couple of years with the new last sector, which we drivers prefer a lot more now. It’s also a track that I struggled with in the beginning of my career, but now I really enjoy it after learning the tricks."

What are your thoughts on eSports and racing simulators? Are the skills transferable to actual racing?

Pierre Gasly:

"I have a very nice simulator at home, which I use more for fun. I play it sometimes, but I don’t take it that seriously because some of the guys out there are incredibly fast and talented. But at the team, we have a simulator at the factory, and I use it a lot. It helps us get into the rhythm before coming to the track and try different setups. So there are definitely parallels between sim and real racing, but in real life, you feel the race more, especially at the end of a straight going 300 km/h."

Esteban Ocon:

"It’s very transferable. I know guys who have only done sim racing and then jumped into go-karts or cars and were very quick straight away. There is a lot of level and technicality in sim racing. If you look at the leaderboards on Gran Turismo, for example, the top 20 are probably separated by one-tenth of a second, so it’s insane how far it goes. I race a lot on my PlayStation; it’s good fun."

How do you acclimatize to the unique weather conditions in Singapore?

Pierre Gasly:

"My training plan starts in January. I always plan to peak at the right time, considering that Singapore will require a top level of fitness. During the season, you can’t train as hard because you’re tired and traveling a lot. So, I start with a buffer to maintain fitness through the year. The weeks before the race, I do specific heat training. I was in Dubai a few days ago, spending the entire day outside under 36 degrees, playing paddle and golfing, just to get used to losing water and sweating more."

Esteban Ocon:

"That’s the toughest bit, for sure. I do heat acclimatization before the event at my training center in France. I’ve been cycling in the sauna. You need to drink a lot before the event to stay hydrated. We also have various methods to keep cool during the weekend, and we try to find what works best."

Is there a street car or any car you would love to experience but haven’t tried yet?

Esteban Ocon:"I’m a big fan of cars. I’m really passionate about classic and new cars. I think the new Koenigsegg CC850 is quite impressive. It has more than 1,000 horsepower and looks good. I saw it at the Nürburgring when I was testing with the Alpine A110, and it looked really impressive. So, I think that’s a car I’d like to try."

Pierre Gasly:"I don’t really like driving on the road because it’s not fast enough and there’s too much traffic. I prefer to drive on the track. I’m lucky to drive the best cars in the world, so I don’t feel the need to try anything else. I have driven some of the old F1 cars, like Ayrton Senna’s first car, which was incredible. It’s a very different experience—much simpler, with a manual gearbox and less electronics."

Thank you to Alpine Singapore for having us. It was an incredible experience getting up close and personal with Pierre and Esteban and visiting the paddock/garage—truly a dream come true!

Other highlights from race weekend:

Special one-off liveries in Singapore – RB featuring a denim inspired livery, in a collaboration with Hugo, McLaren’s “Legend Reborn”, and Mercedes’ Petronas inspired livery.

Lando Norris held on to the lead from pole position, leading every lap of the race, narrowly missing out on his first grand slam.

2023 race winner Carlos Sainz Jr. crashed during qualifying and was fined 25,000 euros for walking across the track.

For the first time in Singapore Grand Prix history, the safety car did not make an appearance, resulting in the fastest race duration.

Photos by Tan Jun Da

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