2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix highlights

BWT Alpine F1 Team scored six points from the 2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix courtesy of Esteban Ocon’s seventh-place finish at the Lusail International Circuit. Pierre Gasly was running inside the points but fell short of the top ten after a series of penalties for track limit infringements.

It was a physically taxing 57-lap Grand Prix under the lights in Qatar, with three pit stops for both drivers during the race.

Esteban made a strong start, moving up to fifth place, with Pierre maintaining seventh. Both drivers later settled into a rhythm with double points at the target with varying pit-stop strategies up and down the grid.

Esteban settled for seventh with a comfortable run to the line, while Pierre was on the receiving end of three separate penalties for track limit infringements in the midst of fighting for the top ten. In the end, he finished in twelfth place.

Esteban Ocon:

What a tough and physically difficult race for all of us! In the end, it was a great result for us in seventh place and six points in the bag. We had a great start to move up to fifth, and credit to the team, too, for a well-executed strategy and pit stops. The conditions were extremely tough in the car, and I did not feel well physically in the first half of the race. I was able to pull it together and focus on what I needed to do. We had a couple of good overtakes along the way, and we brought home six valuable points for the team. Now it’s time for rest and recovery and then prepare for a demanding triple-header in the Americas, and we’ll look to carry this momentum into Austin.

Pierre Gasly:

There was potential to score points today, so, of course, I am disappointed in how the race played out. It was not a good day; it’s a matter of centimetres on track limits – that is on me, though – and today, I paid a big price for it. It’s frustrating, as we definitely had the pace to score solid points for the team. We had a small energy management issue to manage during the race, which cost me some pace. I probably tried to take too many risks and overcompensate for that and pushed too close to the limit. I’ll learn from it and move on. It’s been a fairly positive weekend for the team, we have lots to learn, and now we look forward to an intense triple-header coming up, starting in Austin.

Bruno Famin, Interim Team Principal:

We leave Qatar with more points on the board after Esteban’s seventh-place finish, a very smart, clinical and well-measured drive in challenging conditions. Pierre, too had a strong race – it looked promising for a good double team result – but unfortunately, his efforts went without reward due to penalties for track limits. We have lots to learn going forward, but, in summary, it’s been a positive weekend for the team across all three days. We will continue our hard work back at the factories, take as many learnings as we can and look to convert those into good team results in the Austin Sprint weekend.

Alpine F1 Team best pictures:

2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix

2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix

2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix

2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix

2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix

2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix

1. Previous
2. 1
3. 2
4. 3
5. 4
6. 5
7. 6
8. 7
9. 8
10. 9
11. 10
12. 11
13. Next