Friday was a nightmare for Esteban Ocon In Abu Dhabi, Saturday’s performance was almost a minor miracle. Starting eighth on the grid for the final Grand Prix of the season, the Frenchman rediscovered his form after a completely transformed Saturday. Haas, to the point of overtaking his teammate Oliver Bearman (11th), who had been impressive since the start of the Emirati weekend. The Frenchman didn’t hide his immense relief in an interview with Canal+, after a night spent reviewing everything on his car.
On Friday, Ocon was completely out of sorts. Very withdrawn, totally disconnected from the expected performance, he had steadily lost time. We hit rock bottom yesterday. […] We were five to ten tenths of a second off where we should have been on every lap. he told Canal + after the qualifiers. We didn’t really know where to look anymore; every turn meant losing almost a tenth of a second. It was just a disaster. »
Disheartened, he had even begun to doubt himself. Maybe I’ve become bad, maybe I’m useless, and we need to do a complete reset “He sighed at the time. Faced with the urgency of the situation, the American team laid everything bare and made a radical decision: to start from scratch.” We completely overhauled the car last night. Every setting was changed and the car came to life today. »
“The best moment of the year” for Ocon
From Free Practice 3 onwards, the contrast was striking: sixth in the morning, then qualifying just five hundredths of a second off sixth place. A dazzling transformation that put a smile back on the Frenchman’s face. While Ocon savors the moment, he hasn’t forgotten the 2025 season, too often marred by technical inconsistency compared to his teammate. It’s been working as it should for many races now. We should have had many more points, and much earlier this year. It’s frustrating, but it’s good that we were able to turn things around. »
Haas will now have to understand the precise origin of this sudden resurrection. We’ve changed so much that it’s still a bit unclear. But it’s building a good foundation for next year. We need to keep challenging ourselves. We got the answers today, so it’s the best moment of the year. It feels really good. »
An encouraging sign for both Ocon and Haas as they turn the page on a challenging season. On Sunday, the Frenchman will have a real chance to make his mark from the fourth row. See you at 14 p.m. for the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
ALSO READ > Abu Dhabi GP – Qualifying: Max Verstappen untouchable, Lando Norris 2nd
