Ocon: R25 sounds great but world moving on

Jamie Woodhouse
Fernando-Alonso-PA

Esteban Ocon says Formula 1 must "live with our time".

Esteban Ocon loved seeing the Renault R25 return to the track in Abu Dhabi, but doesn’t believe it should influence future Formula 1 cars.

To mark the final race in Formula 1 for Renault before becoming Alpine, Fernando Alonso was given the chance to take his 2005 title-winning R25 for a spin around Yas Marina Circuit on all four days of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race weekend.

With its screaming V10 engine and fast, nimble nature the R25 brought everyone to trackside to watch as it almost glided around Yas Marina.

The R25 is 150kg lighter than a modern Formula 1 car, and of course produces a far different sound to the current V6 turbo-hyrbid engines, and after its demo run many suggested that the R25 highlighted the ‘wow factor’ that Formula 1 is now missing.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who has signed a new three-year deal with the Silver Arrows, has urged Formula 1 to analyse what aspects of the R25 made it so attractive for people so that lessons can be learnt for the future.

Fernando-Alonso-PA
Toto Wolff says Formula 1 must take lessons from the RS25 demo run.

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One aspect of that car which definitely isn’t coming back is the V10, and Formula 1 power unit manufacturers have now received their first barrels of sustainable biofuel.

But Ocon isn’t disappointed when he compares the cars of the R25’s era to modern day, saying that the current Formula 1 cars are not only the fastest in history, but also the best to drive, while adding that Formula 1 must live with its time.

“It’s true that we are missing that sound clearly,” Ocon told Autosport.com.

“I think if people think about Formula 1, that’s what they think about. The cars that we have nowadays are better to drive, are quicker to drive, have more power, have more torque.

“They are just the best cars and the quickest of all time but if they were sounding like this, it would probably be better.

“But we need to live with our time. That’s how it is. The world is moving, and I think it’s the same in the car industry. The cars are sounding less and less, so you lose a bit of the emotion there.

“But they are fast and they are more efficient and they are more reliable, as simple as that.”

Ocon will be team-mate to Alonso at Alpine for 2021 as the two-time World Champion returns for a third spell with the team as they welcome in the Alpine era.

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