(Motorsport-Total.com) – Esteban Ocon defended his controversial overtaking maneuver against Alexander Albon at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Haas driver took advantage of the chaos after Max Verstappen’s accident to pass the Williams. Ocon was puzzled that he was placed back behind Albon at the restart.
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“I overtook Alex, yes, but I was allowed to because it was green,” the Frenchman explained after the race. Unlike Franco Colapinto, who overtook Yuki Tsunoda under yellow flag and received a drive-through penalty, Ocon’s maneuver was actually within the rules.
The decisive reason why the Haas driver still had to give up his position: For the second start, the order was determined based on the classification at the end of the first lap. Ocon’s overtaking maneuver took place just after the finish line and therefore was no longer included in the order.
“What is really a shame is that you have to take all these risks,” the 29-year-old said afterwards. “You either risk getting a penalty or not. I didn’t get a penalty, but it was very close because I had just overtaken him when it was green. And then they put you back at the race start.”
Esteban Ocon criticizes “old-fashioned” Formula 1 rule
Ocon is convinced that the starting grid should have been determined based on a more current classification. After all, there was enough time between his overtaking maneuver on the start-finish straight and the subsequent suspension. “The red flag only came after turn five,” he says.
“So we had passed sector one and were entering sector two. Therefore, I should have started ahead of Alex – because that changed my race.” The Haas driver also criticized that Formula 1 is technically long capable of determining the drivers’ positions much more precisely.
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“We are not supposed to believe that in Formula 1 we don’t have timing loops every 20 meters, right? That’s really a very old-fashioned rule,” Ocon finds. “They still take the line from about two kilometers back. That shouldn’t be the case; it should be the last moment.”
Alexander Albon complains about “crazy” Ocon maneuver
The regulation is, however, known – and therefore Ocon already suspected what would await him at the following restart. “I said over the radio: Let’s not put Alex back in front at the restart. Because that shouldn’t be the case,” the Haas driver was annoyed.
“And for some reason, I had the feeling they would put him back in front at the restart.” For the Frenchman, the decision had sporting consequences: In the first part of the race, Ocon was stuck behind Albon and pitted already on lap 16 to get clear track.
On lap 53, however, the Haas driver had to end his race prematurely due to a problem with the power unit. Albon also made clear over team radio what he thought of his rival’s maneuver: “Sorry, but what Esteban did is crazy. He overtakes me in the middle of the accident.”
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