After a run of tough and inconsistent weekends, Esteban Ocon became one of the drivers to benefit most under the shaken-up Monaco race format as he claimed points with Haas for the first time since the Bahrain Grand Prix.
A range of scenarios were in play around the narrow, twisty streets of Monte Carlo as two mandatory pit stops were introduced to discourage long stints of tyre management and open up more strategic choices to counteract the lack of overtaking opportunities.
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While each team approached the new rule differently, the strategy executed by Ocon’s side of the garage saw him build on his strong Qualifying performance of P8 and gain a position to finish P7, taking six points home.
This improvement was only possible due to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso retiring from the race further ahead, but the timing of the Frenchman’s pit stops on Laps 16 and 28 helped him to secure a crucial points haul in the developing midfield battle.
