Alpine’s shock double podium on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix may lead to a doable $50m payday on the finish of the F1 season.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly turned in sensible drives in a dramatic, rain-hit race in Brazil to assert an unlikely double podium for Alpine, ending second and third respectively behind Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The 33-point haul noticed the French outfit acquire three locations within the constructors’ championship from ninth to sixth, overtaking Williams, RB and Haas.
Alpine now sit three factors away from Haas and 5 away from RB with three grand prix and one dash race remaining this yr. They path fifth-placed Aston Martin by 37 factors.
If they will maintain onto P6 within the constructors’ standings come the season’s finish, it may see Alpine pocket as a lot as $50m in prize cash distributed between the ten groups, report Reuters.
The shock end result offered Alpine with a much-needed increase amid what has been a tough 2024, having began the marketing campaign with the slowest on the grid.
“What a day that was after a tough season,” stated Ocon. “It is very nice to be driving round right here and having the efficiency a bit levelled out within the rain.
“The automobile was extraordinarily tough on the dry and actually I felt comfy when it began to rain this morning… I find it irresistible right here when it rains. In the present day has introduced a particular race for us.”
Teammate Gasly added: “We’ve struggled to attain factors and in these circumstances all the things was doable,” stated Gasly, who additionally scored two factors with seventh within the Saturday dash.
“No-one believed it till the tip. Two automobiles on the rostrum. I do not suppose anybody would have gotten that on their bingo card forward of the season.”
New Alpine staff principal Oliver Oakes stated: “We had been barely annoyed to not get each automobiles by to Q3 [the final phase of qualifying] however they’ve greater than made up for it now.
“This staff is a good staff, it all the time has been. It clearly had a tricky begin to the season, the final 12-18 months weren’t what the staff’s all about. However actually I can say since I arrived it has been so robust, you’ll be able to see the spirit within the staff.
“It will be winter now, that is what we have to get some momentum behind us.”
