While the pace of the Frenchman and team-mate Pierre Gasly was impacted by damage picked up following an opening-lap clash, Ocon does not think that should be an excuse for an overall lack of performance.
While both drivers were left facing a downforce deficit – with Gasly said to have lost around 33 points compared to Ocon’s 15 – the slump down the order was not solely caused by that.
Speaking after the race, having finished in 15th and more than 20 seconds adrift of Valtteri Bottas ahead of him, Ocon was downbeat about things.
Asked if the first lap damage had effectively derailed hopes of a good showing, Ocon said: “I don't think it has changed the overall picture of the race, unfortunately.
“It didn't help, that's for sure, but we didn't lose that much performance on both cars. I think we were just not quick enough.
“I think we did this weekend a good step forward in qualifying, but in the race, that's probably the first step backwards that we're doing since Bahrain. And there are some similarities between here and Bahrain, so we need to look at that.”
Ocon said that while Alpine had gone aggressive with its strategy to try something different, there was ultimately little it could do against rivals.
Source: Autosport