Alpine explain where Esteban Ocon can improve to take over as team leader

Expected to be Alpine’s team leader next season after Fernando Alonso ditched the team, Otmar Szafnauer says Esteban Ocon’s only weakness is that he needs to get up to speed faster on grand prix weekends.

Ocon is, as the situation stands, Alpine’s team leader for next season after Alonso rejected the team’s offer of a one-year deal in favour of a multi-year contract with Aston Martin.

It is not yet known who will be the Frenchman’s team-mate – Oscar Piastri, Daniel Ricciardo or even someone else – but as the driver who has been with Alpine the longest, he’ll have to step up.

Szafnauer believes he is capable of being the team leader, calling the former Racing Point driver a “super talent”, but concedes he still have a few things to learn.

“Esteban is a super talent,” Szafnauer said. “I worked with him at Force India and those were the days of Sergio Perez as his team-mate.

“And he was as quick as Sergio and raced Sergio hard, and if you remember those days, they were always together on the grid. And sometimes they even came together in the races! And we see what Sergio is capable of.

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“With Fernando too, although Fernando’s got the skill and the talent to get a lap out of the car very quickly.

“He needs three or four laps and he’s at 99%, or