Ocon in history

By winning the recent Hungarian Grand Prix to everyone’s surprise, French driver Esteban Ocon added his name to the list of French victors in the pinnacle of motorsport, sometimes a harbinger for the world at large. This is an opportunity to look back at his race and list the names of other French drivers who have triumphed at least once under the checkered flag.

After a year away from Formula 1, Ocon bided his time to come back stronger.

Nerves of steelFor the driver of the number 31 Alpine to win, a clear set of circumstances was necessary.

Not that the Alpine isn’t a good car in this 2021 season, but rather because the dominance of Red Bull and Mercedes tends to place at least four cars on the first two rows at each Grand Prix.

And what about when Ferrari, McLaren, and AlphaTauri also prove to be competitive? In a chaotic start marked by rain, Ocon, who started eighth, found himself in the leading positions after Bottas’s mistake took out several favorites, including the then-championship leader, Max Verstappen. Once the rain dried, Ocon moved to the front after Hamilton pitted. The Briton was the only driver not to have pitted at the restart, which took place in much drier conditions. With invaluable support from his teammate Alonso, nerves of steel under pressure from Vettel, and nearly 70 laps later, Ocon secured his first Formula 1 victory and the first of the Alpine era for Renault F1. Mastering the information before him and maintaining Olympian calm, Esteban Ocon, during those tense moments, transformed into a true poker player, demonstrating his ability to analyze and execute. It remains to be seen whether the driver, for his part, fully understands the rules of poker. But one thing is certain: he is an exceptional driver. The first successor to Pierre Gasly

The other Norman driver on the F1 grid, at the wheel of his AlphaTauri

at Monza in 2020 ,broke the more than 24-year wait for French motorsport which had been desperately awaiting a French victory since Olivier Panis’s success in 1996 on the streets of Monaco, at the end of a Grand Prix that was also relatively eventful.

This time, it took less than eleven months to see another Frenchman triumph and take up the ultimate mantle of the discipline. While we are still waiting for a successor to Alain Prost’s world title, won four times and making him the only French driver to have been crowned world champion, there is no doubt that Gasly and Ocon could have their say in the years to come.

Alain Prost as a legend Deeply rooted in the Alpine team, Alain Prost had a front-row seat to witness the success of one of the drivers of the team based in France and England for its engine.

(McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, Williams), “The Professor” remains the undisputed master of French motorsport.

Alain Prost also won with Renault.