(Motorsport-Total.com) – Esteban Ocon has to start seventeenth at the Belgian Grand Prix. The qualifying was already over for the Haas driver in Q1, while Oliver Bearman was at least able to fight his way into Q2. Consequently, the 29-year-old is anything but satisfied on Saturday and explains where the VF-26 lacks performance.
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“[On Friday] we were missing two to two and a half tenths on the straight,” said Ocon. “Today we were missing more like four and a half or five tenths.”
Explicitly, the Haas driver describes his first run in Q1 here. Even the slipstream from drivers like Liam Lawson helped little. Furthermore, Ocon explains: “We are also missing downforce on the rear axle.”
In doing so, the Haas driver emphasizes that once again the lack of consistency in his car is a big problem. For months now, the one-time Grand Prix winner has been struggling with the sometimes strange and variable characteristics of his car.
Accordingly, the conclusion is: “We are missing twice as much top speed on the straights as yesterday and we lack stability in the corners. So it is really difficult, but the team was satisfied with my lap. I was also satisfied with the lap and did not make any big mistakes.”
According to Ocon, it is also not due to energy deployment. However, the 29-year-old mentions that the top speed of his car does not match that of his teammate.
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When asked if the cars might not be identical, Ocon answers: “No, the cars are the same. Well, not literally, they use the same specification.”
“But,” says Ocon, “one car is four km/h faster on the straight than the other, you know? That’s where we currently stand.”
To the French broadcaster Canal+, Ocon summarizes it as follows: “Only Ollie’s car works as it should. That’s just how it is.”
In terms of aerodynamics, Ocon, as in previous race weekends, cannot use the balance of his teammate Bearman. Exactly where the problems of his VF-26 come from remains a mystery.
For the Belgian Grand Prix, the front wing, endplates, and airflow elements on the front axle were specially revised. At least on the Ardennes rollercoaster, the positive effect for Ocon is missing.
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