Ocon proud: "He's one of the best drivers out there"

Alpine didn't manage to finish in the points during the first race, but in Imola, they managed to do so. Fernando Alonso finished in tenth place, while Esteban Ocon finished one place ahead of the Spaniard.

Ocon is gaining a lot of experience with Alonso as a teammate this season. The two-time world champion has been absent from Formula 1 for the past two seasons but announced in mid-2020 that he would return to the top division of motorsport. During the first race, he had to retire early, but in Italy, the driver performed much better.

Alonso tells Formule1.com that he is very happy with his current team, including working with Ocon. "I'm happy to have Esteban next to me. He is very professional and he works very hard. Not only on the track but also in the simulator. It's good for both drivers when you have a teammate who works hard."

On the other hand, Ocon enjoys the experience that his teammate gained in the past. Although he finished ahead of the Spanish driver last race, it doesn't mean that he has lost respect for Alonso. "We have similar comments about the car and it works very well. It's a great opportunity to have a world champion next to me. He is one of the best drivers out there."