The aforementioned timing is relevant because the result came just a few weeks after Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi surprised the paddock with strong criticism of his own team in a French TV interview, saying the team's performance was "unacceptable" and at times "amateurish".
The strong race in Monaco took some of the pressure away, and a clearly delighted Rossi was happy to be front and centre between the two drivers in the team photo that celebrated Esteban Ocon's podium finish.
However, while Alpine lies fifth in the standings, that's not where a works team with big ambitions wants to be, especially several years into an ongoing rebuilding process.
The key for Rossi was that the team did everything right in a difficult race and successfully converted decent grid positions into results with both cars, having raced toe-to-toe with Mercedes and Ferrari.
It was a great weekend for the team and a much-needed boost, but Rossi is well aware of the bigger picture.
The car isn't quick enough at the moment, so it's all about making the most of what the team has, and taking opportunities when they come at circuits that favour the package.
"Yeah, it's good, it's important, we got some points that we desperately needed," he says. "Because we didn't deliver at the level of performance that we should have in the first few races, which was the purpose of my message.
Source: Autosport