Alpine’s Esteban Ocon may not have scored points at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, but he left with the DHL Fastest Lap, setting a new record despite early race setbacks.
After starting a competitive 12th on the grid, Ocon’s race took a sharp turn when he was spun around by Alex Albon before even reaching Turn 1. This incident relegated him to the back of the field, significantly reducing any chance of a points finish. Meanwhile, rookie Franco Colapinto of Williams found himself in the spotlight, running a strong race and poised to capture the fastest lap on a different strategy. By Lap 46, Colapinto clocked in a swift 1:37.611 on medium tires, positioning himself to earn his first DHL Fastest Lap and the bonus point.
With Alpine’s championship aspirations in mind, the team called Ocon into the pits in the closing laps to swap onto soft tires, hoping to secure the fastest lap from Colapinto and close the four-point gap with Williams in the standings. Ocon delivered with a blistering 1:37.330, narrowly edging out Colapinto.
“At least we got the fastest lap for the team,” said Ocon, though he expressed regret for Colapinto, who had fought hard for the distinction. “Sorry to Franco, as he deserved it,” Ocon added. In the end, Ocon finished 18th, his race largely hampered by the early spin.
Despite a challenging race overall, Ocon’s fastest lap served as a small victory for Alpine, keeping their hopes alive in the tightly contested midfield battle.
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