Following a challenging Qualifying session that was both Alpine's out in Q2 - Esteban would start from P12 on Sunday.
The Frenchman made a brilliant start to the race as he moved up three positions on lap one to immediately haul himself into points paying contention.
Esteban pitted for Hards on lap 19 with Fernando stringing together a solid stint to progress towards the points.
A late Safety Car saw Esteban pitted for Soft tyres for a late-race carge, which allowed him to gain control in his fight with Lance Stroll.
At the chequered flag, Esteban just missed out taking advantage of a 5-second time penalty for Carlos Sainz by 0.2secs to finish in ninth place and secure two more points in the championship standings.
Esteban Ocon, (Started P12, Finished P9):
“I’m pleased to score points today and it was a nice recovery after disappointment in Qualifying on Saturday. We have also outscored McLaren again, which is positive in our fight in the Constructors’ Championship. On my side, I had a mega start, made up a few places in the early part of the race, which put us in position to score points. There’s always more you can do, so we’ll assess the things we can improve for next time to come away with even more.
Another race is just around the corner and I’m already looking forward to Monza, a track that I love, and one that will likely suit our car better. We will push on!”
In the third stage of a triple-header weekend, Formula One heads to Monza 'The Temple of Speed' next weekend on the 9-11 September.
