Ocon qualified fourth in the Principality, 0.188 seconds behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen. He then inherited a spot when Charles Leclerc was penalized for blocking Lando Norris.

In the race, 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner Ocon took on Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on the final stage in the rain, earning his first podium of the season in the upgraded A523. Teammate Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, was seventh.

The headlines came after Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi gave French media interviews over the weekend in Miami, at times labeling his team “amateurs”.

The team’s best finish was eighth before Monaco, while Ocon and Gasly eliminated each other in the final moments in Australia, unable to earn a double. Throughout the weekend in Monaco, Ocon was reluctant to respond positively to Rossi’s remarks.

Asked again for his response after finishing third, he said: “Everyone is happy. Formula 1 is unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen.

“With how tight the field is at the moment, a little more pace can completely change your weekend. It was a great weekend, awesome preparation.

“As I’ve always said, we’ve been working hard. We’re not going to stop believing. Hopefully this is the first podium of many.”

Esteban Ocon of the Alpine F1 Team celebrates his third position with Pierre Gasly, the Alpine F1 Team, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi and the team

Photography: Alpine

Such a high score is based on Alpine’s introduction of a revised suspension configuration, tweaked floor design and new sidepod air intakes for the Monaco weekend.

Asked whether the upgrades marked a turning point for the year, Ocon said the team had to be careful to “get its feet on the ground” and wait to see what it was like at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

He said: “It’s a very different track in terms of character here. But obviously the car feels more alive and I feel more confident in it to start the weekend.

“We did bring some updates. They should be small, but everything we have is going in the right direction. It definitely feels good and I hope this is the start of something.

“We need to keep our feet on the ground and see where we are next week. It will be a good test.”