Ocon: 'Planets finally aligned' for 'extraordinary' Alpine in Las Vegas

Esteban Ocon labelled Alpine's Las Vegas Grand Prix as "extraordinary" as the "planets aligned" for the team following an indifferent run of form.

From 16th on the grid, Ocon stormed to fourth place, having climbed eight places on the opening lap alone after the Turn 1 chaos dropped front-runners Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz down the order.

Ocon put a brave move on team-mate Pierre Gasly for fifth on the road, and was promoted to fourth when Oscar Piastri finally made his second stop late on, with George Russell actually passing Ocon for P4 on the final lap - although the Frenchman regained the position when Russell's penalty was applied.

Fourth was Ocon's best result since Monaco, and is also his first top-five since that race, as he felt the team's efforts were well-rewarded after a tough run of races.

"It is an amazing feeling, and I am again alive after [qualifying]," Ocon told F1TV after his best result since third in the Monaco Grand Prix.

"[After qualifying], we were injured, but the healing power of the Deadpool helmet made a difference, and it was definitely a crazy race.

"We stayed away from the degradation and graining that everyone had and managed to come from 16th to fourth, so it just feels awesome.

"It's been five to six races, since Singapore, where the planets didn't align for us and to finally turn things around, we scored an awesome result.

"I hope we can keep going like that until the end of the season, and finish in Abu Dhabi on a high.

"We never stopped believing, and knew that this weekend would be very strong for us, in terms of achieving things and getting the car where we wanted, and we were super strong on tyres.

"Unfortunately, we saw what happened [with Max Verstappen] in qualifying, and that's why we couldn't qualify so well.

"The track was good for overtaking, and so we could use our pace in a straight line to get by and that's we did.

"What the team has done this weekend is extraordinary in qualifying and the race, and we can be proud of ourselves."