Alpine refutes McLaren’s safety concerns over Esteban Ocon’s wobbly rear wing at the Canadian GP

Otmar Szafnauer had faith over Esteban Ocon's wobbly rear wing at the Canadian GP despite concerns raised by rivals.

Alpine refutes McLaren’s safety concerns over Esteban Ocon’s wobbly rear wing at the Canadian GP

Esteban Ocon driving the Alpine A523 at the Canadian GP, (image via @alpinef1/Twitter)

Safety is paramount in Formula 1, and the FIA has strict bodywork rules that prevent teams from making unsafe modifications. However, it is the team’s discretion to change parts with issues. Esteban Ocon raced with a wobbly rear wing at the Canadian GP despite claims by McLaren over its danger. Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer hit back after the team faced no safety risk during the race.

Esteban Ocon’s rear wing was observed to be oscillating at high speeds during the race. McLaren’s Lando Norris followed the Frenchman closely in the race’s latter half. The British driver raised concerns over the danger of the moving rear wing. Although, Alpine decided to let the 26-year-old out as the team deemed it safe to continue.

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Post-race, Szafnauer mentioned that the team was satisfied to see the car come back home without fail. The 58-year-old boasted his confidence over the rear wing, which the Enstone-based team vigorously tested. Otmar even described that the team would have known if the wing had failed during the race. He said, “It didn’t fail. So it stayed on,”.

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Alpine had faith in Esteban Ocon’s rear wing

Esteban Ocon's rear wing at the Canadian GP, image via Euro.eseuro.com
Esteban Ocon’s rear wing at the Canadian GP, (image via Euro.eseuro.com)

The Romanian-American clarified that Alpine conducts immense research and development before putting new parts on its car. The French team is familiar with the pressure and loads faced by bodywork. Subsequently, Otmar Szafnauer insisted that the team knew that Ocon’s rear wing would not have failed mid-race in Montreal despite McLaren’s claims.

The 58-year-old even mentioned that the team discussed the situation with the FIA. However, the French squad assured the sports governing body that it would make it to the end of the race. Esteban Ocon came home in P8 behind the Williams of Alex Albon, bringing home some crucial points for the team. This result would not have been achieved if the team had been forced to call him into the pits.

Thus, Alpine has stated that the team was confident that the rear wing would continue till the end of the race. The French squad saved Ocon’s decent result in the race, as the 25-year-old did not have to come into the pits before the end of the race. However, it remains to be seen if the Enstone-based team will repeat such a situation in the future.

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