The recent Monaco Grand Prix brought more than adrenaline on the track. An incident between the Alpine pilots, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Oconculminated in the French team’s decision to fire the 27-year-old driver at the end of the season.
The episode that triggered the measure occurred in the first lap of the Monaco GP. Ocon, in an attempt to overtake his teammate Pierre Gasly at the entrance to the tunnel, ended up colliding in spectacular fashion. In a confined space, the contact resulted in Ocon’s car flying through the air and being severely damaged, leaving him out of the race. Gasly, for his part, was able to continue and finished in tenth place, accumulating his first point of the season.
At first Bruno Famindirector of Alpine, openly expressed his discontent in an interview with Canal+: “This type of incident is sad, it is exactly what we did not want to see. Esteban’s jump was completely out of place and “There will be corresponding consequences.”
The accident left Ocon’s car with extensive damage. “The left rear suspension is bent, the gearbox housing is damaged. “We are changing the entire gearbox, it is a huge amount of work,” Famin added. These damages not only affected the immediate result, but also They aggravated the tense relationship between Ocon and the team.
Shortly after the incident and the team’s public dissatisfaction, Alpine issued an official statement: “Firstly, we would like to thank Esteban for his commitment to the team over the last five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which came at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable victory. We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 with a clear objective: to continue working tirelessly as a team to achieve the best results on the track. We wish Esteban the best for the next chapter of his racing career when that time comes.”
Esteban Ocon also offered his perspective through his social networks: “It has been a significant period of my life to race for this team in Formula 1. Although I have been here for five years as a starting driver, my professional career began at Enstone when I was a teenager, so it will always be a special place for me. We’ve had some great times together, some tough times too, and I am certainly grateful to everyone on the team for these memorable times. I will announce my plans very soon.”
Initially, the driver had issued a disclaimer that could have precipitated the team’s decision: “There is no reward without risk in Formula 1, and the race starts are intense, even more so in Monaco, where the first lap can dictate the result. final (…) I take responsibility for the accident (…) I am deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity I have felt and received about my character, my driving and my career.”
After the race, rumors arose about a possible immediate replacement of Ocon by Jack Doohan, Alpine reserve driver. However, it has been confirmed that Ocon will complete the remaining 16 races of the 2024 season, starting with the Canadian GP, although with a penalty of five places on the grid due to the incident in Monaco.
Ocon is in a complicated situation for the future. Alpine plans to announce its driver line-up for next season in due course, and Gasly’s contract also expires at the end of the year. Options for Ocon on the Formula 1 grid for 2025 potentially include teams such as Haas, Williams, Audi or Mercedes. With the Gran Circo driver grid for 2025 being defined, Ocon must announce his plans soon, looking for a new competitive seat to continue his career in Formula 1.
