P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ocon: Alpine F1 swap policy "clear" amid Gasly confusion in Japan
During the Japanese Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly was asked to let Esteban Ocon pass him in the final stages of the race, which he initially refused to do. However, he eventually complied on the last corner of the final lap after continuous requests from his race engineer. Gasly was furious because he believed he was the faster car and should have been ahead due to his better strategy. This misunderstanding was partly due to a lack of communication before the race regarding this specific scenario. The team’s interim principal, Bruno Famin, defended the decision, stating that Gasly was only allowed to pass Ocon to try and overtake Fernando Alonso, and the positions were supposed to be swapped back if Gasly couldn’t make the overtake. Ocon, on the other hand, was not confused about the team’s policy and said it has always been consistent. Despite being involved in an incident at the start of the race, Ocon was pleasantly surprised to score points and praised the team’s strategy.
Source: motorsport
