IMAGO / PanoramiC
Esteban Ocon almost orchestrated an Alpine double DNF on lap one of the Monaco GP. Coming out of Portier, the Frenchman squeezed his teammate Pierre Gasly into the wall which launched him up in the air, catapulted by the latter’s front-right tire. Ocon was forced to retire, and while Gasly did manage to finish in the points, he wasn’t pleased with his teammate’s behavior.
Speaking to the media after the race, Gasly said,
“For the team, we have 1,200 people working for us and we cannot afford to have this sort of behavior.”
Gasly, who was “disappointed” with Ocon, was referring to the understanding he had with the 27-year-old. Alpine instructed the two to keep it clean against each other. And by doing what he did in Monaco, Ocon did not respect that agreement.
It also left Team Principal Bruno Famin furious, who insisted that there would be consequences to the Frenchman’s actions.
Ocon, however, realized his mistake in the immediate aftermath. He took to his social media handle to accept the error, and apologized to his team for ruining what was turning out to be a solid weekend for the Enstone-based outfit.
What consequences does Esteban Ocon have to face?
Famin’s words resonated a bitter ultimatum to his driver, which for the former, could be a very big step indeed. The French team has been going through a transitional period, with many top names leaving over the last few months.
Ocon’s contract with Alpine runs out in 2024, and Famin, by saying there would be a “tough decision” made, hinted at his departure from the team. This gives scope for further reshuffling, something the team would be looking to avoid.
Alpine’s start the 2024 season has been woeful. And progress has been awfully slow. As a result, they will be craving stability and peace within (at the very least), which could be shaken due to Ocon’s recent antics.
Ocon’s future with the team looks far from secure after the Monaco GP. Ahead of the 2025 season, if Alpine pulls the plug on him, they could have several drivers in the running to replace him. Including Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher.
