Ocon reflects on an exciting Friday at the Madring
Despite the uncertainty and backlash that the new Madring circuit has received this past week from drivers, pundits and fans alike—including Max Verstappen titling it as “probably a car killer”—Esteban Ocon had a positive reflection on the new track.
The Frenchman finished in 13th in FP1, and improved in FP2 where he finished ninth. Thankfully there weren’t too many big disruptions in the sessions, except for Arvid Lindblad’s crash in the latter session where the red flag needed to come into force. The Haas driver reflected on the opening two sessions at the Madring, with it seeming like an enjoyable first experience at the track: “The track is extremely challenging in every aspect but it’s very fun, I’m having a blast out there.
“It’s a big challenge as I said, but the grip is super high which makes it very interesting and very difficult compared to any other tracks. So yeah, it’s fun out there so far.”
What has been made clear after Friday’s practice sessions is that tomorrow evening’s qualifying will be extremely important to have the best chance on Sunday. Although there is an overtaking zone around Turn 22 as well as two long straights on the track, it is a hard track to navigate when it comes to executing the manoeuvres.
“[Q3] is always the aim of course,” said Ocon on the chances of getting through to Q3 at tomorrow’s qualifying. “It’s only Friday and we’re in the top 10 now so it has been a very good Friday, we’ll see if we can carry on.”
With Haas showing promising pace across today’s sessions, Ocon will be hoping that the team carry momentum into tomorrow’s final practice and qualifying to ensure the best starting position for the Grand Prix.
With this being the first time the drivers have raced around the Madring, there are still plenty of unknowns heading into the rest of the weekend. For Ocon, however, Friday has provided plenty of reason for optimism, and he will be hoping that his positive first impression of the circuit continues when it matters most.
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