Ocon praises Alonso for “fighting like a lion” to help him to maiden F1 win

Ocon moved up to second after a chaotic start which saw four cars retire on the opening lap.

He inherited the lead after Lewis Hamilton decided not to pit for dry tyres before the second standing start following the red flag, whereas the rest of the field did.

Ocon resisted intense pressure from Sebastian Vettel for the 70-lap race to take his first win in F1.

A significant factor in Ocon’s first-ever victory was Alonso’s impressive defence of Hamilton when the seven-time champion switched to medium tyres late on.

“I mean, it is an awesome moment in my career, that’s for sure,” Ocon said in the post-race press conference. “I don’t have words to describe it but it’s the first win for the Renault Group since they came back to F1.

“After difficult times, the trust they put in me, I’m glad that they get this reward – and I also want to say a special thanks to Fernando [who] has been fighting like a lion in that race, because that probably contributed to give us a gap, give us a bit of a breather.”

Alonso has often had a reputation for being difficult to work with and is renowned for making it difficult for his teammates.

Ocon was quick to defend his two-time champion teammate by saying any claims weren’t true and explained how great their relationship is.

“I told many different media [outlets] about Fernando, on what I heard before I came to the team,” Ocon added. “We spoke about it together as well. I mean I heard he was a tricky teammate to work with, I heard he was playing tricks, he was not fair with the teammates inside, he was ruthless and what I am having, the times I am having with Fernando is fantastic.

“We are forming a great duo, sharing good information, pushing the team towards the same goal which is winning in the future - that’s where we want to be and today, I am proud to be working with him. It’s a privilege, he’s such a legend and I hope we can share more podiums.”