Formula One heads down under to Australia where Albert Park plays host to the third race of the 2023 season. Renault-powered cars have had 8 wins, 23 podiums, 10 poles, 9 fastest laps and 418 points in Melbourne. Esteban Ocon scored his first-ever Formula 1 points at Albert Park in 2017. Over 70% of a lap at Albert Park is raced at full throttle. Albert Park organisers take one month to prepare for the race and two weeks to revert back to its normal function as a public park after the race.
Esteban Ocon opened his points-scoring account for 2023 by finishing in eighth place in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Frenchman is all set for Australia and Albert Park, where he finished in seventh place last year.
Daily Car Blog spoke to Ocon ahead of the Australian Grand Prix:
DCB: How do you reflect on our team result in Jeddah?
Esteban Ocon:
“It was important to have a smooth weekend and leave on Sunday with both cars in the points. We achieved both of those things and our final result was probably the most we could have achieved. We can see that we’re making steps in the right direction towards our goals, but it is also clear that we are not where we want to be right now. I know the trackside team and everyone at the factories are working flat out to take the fight to our competitors further up the grid. We will keep working hard collectively to see where we can improve as every tenth of a second will be key this year.”
DCB: How hard are you and the team working behind the scenes?
Esteban Ocon:
“We know what we need to do to close the gap in front. There’s definitely still learning to be done, but we’ve debriefed together following the test and the first two races and we’ve clearly identified the areas where we need to improve. I was in Enstone last week on the simulator and I visited various departments. I’m pleased with what we have in our development plan with upgrades coming around the corner. Right now, we’re focused on this weekend as we head back to Melbourne where we aim to have another double points team result.”
DCB: What are your thoughts on the Australian Grand Prix?
Esteban Ocon:
“Australia is always a favourite for drivers and teams. Melbourne just has a special vibe when F1 is in town and the fans are so passionate. It’s well worth the long trip and the jet lag! The track itself is fun and the changes made last year I think really improved the circuit with better overtaking opportunities. It’s still a challenging track, both technically and physically, with a lot of changes of direction at low and high speeds. We know braking stability, kerb riding and car agility will be important to the set-up of the cars. It was good to have a week to recover and prepare, but I know the team is ready to go again and we can’t wait to start our weekend in Melbourne.”
