The last United States Grand Prix left a confrontation typical of the last World Cup, a France against Argentina, this time starring Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto. The Williams driver had his first fastest lap in Formula 1, but this changed in the final moments when the future Haas driver entered the pits to put on tires and take it.
The ’31’ finished the race eighteenth and could not get the point that gives you the fastest lap, something that Franco would have obtained by finishing in tenth position. At the end of the test, the one from Pilar spoke about this topic and seemed dissatisfied. With this extra he would have managed to surpass Alpine in points, since now both are tied on points, with only four races from the ‘rookie’.
Franco Colapinto at the US Grand Prix
Colapinto’s anger
In the huddle to answer questions from the media, they happened to be next to each other. At this moment, the ’43’ was still very aware of that point that had been taken from him: “The fastest lap until almost the end, which this Frenchman took from me. A shame, he gave it back to me”. He couldn’t understand this decision to go in and change tires and joked about the environmental effect of this decision. What the debutant surely did not know is that the one from Alpine speaks Spanish and understood what he was saying, in fact, he turned around when he heard it.
This did not stop there, because in another of the interviews he had to do after completing the 56 laps of the American track, he continued thinking about that fast lap. “What a joke this is. His mother’s son lowered it for me by three tenths. I would be happier if my name had been there (on the fast lap poster)”, commented Williams in the ‘FOX’ microphones while continuing to watch images of the race without being able to concentrate on the journalists.
Esteban Ocon arriving at the Austin circuit
Ocon’s response
The French driver is having a bad season, so much so that the 21-year-old has already equaled him in points with only four races completed. From his current situation he understands his rival’s anger for taking away his fastest lap: “This fight is very close, and only one point is awarded to whoever is among the top ten, that is very important. I feel sorry for him, because to be honest, he deserved it, but it is what it isWilliams has a better rhythm and will be able to repeat this attempt for that extra point in one of the remaining tests.
In the constructors’ World Championship standings, the two teams are fighting a very even battle. Right now, the British have a four-point advantage over the French, which could have been five if Esteban had not stopped to change tires. “The only thing we could achieve in the end was the fastest lap. We could take that away from Williams and Colapinto. After all, I wouldn’t get the point, but now I understand it,” analyzed the ’31’. Despite this decision, it seems that the French are delaying the inevitable, since everything indicates that they will not be able to catch up with Williams who is one step above.
