Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly had team orders repeatedly drilled into them before the Monaco Grand Prix, but that wasn’t the final straw leading to Ocon’s departure from Alpine.
Despite the initial curiosity about the all-French line-up at Alpine, given their rocky history as boyhood rivals, things took a dramatic turn in Monaco. The two drivers were reminded more than once about the team orders. Gasly started in P10, just ahead of Ocon in P11. Yet, on the very first lap, Ocon attempted an ill-fated move on Gasly, launching his car into the air and ending his race.
Lawrence Barretto, writing for the official F1 website, explained that the team had been considering Ocon’s future for months. The Monaco incident, while significant, was just a part of a broader discussion about not renewing his contract. This wasn’t the first time that tensions flared between the duo; they’d also clashed in Miami and Ocon had a history of collisions with previous teammates like Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez.
Ocon has options for his future, with Haas, Sauber/Audi, and Williams showing interest. He mentioned that he would reveal his next steps in due course. It was only last Thursday that Ocon was informed by Alpine that his services would not be required after the end of the season. He was at Enstone for a simulator session when he received the news from team boss Bruno Famin. Famin’s frustration was understandable; the collision in Monaco was a stark disobeyal of team orders that had been clearly communicated multiple times.
The story around Ocon’s departure is layered. While the Monaco clash was a tipping point, it was by no means the sole reason. Alpine had been aware that Ocon was exploring other options, and perhaps, the inevitability of change was on the horizon.
Esteban Ocon’s exit from Alpine is a culmination of several incidents and ongoing discussions, with his clash with Pierre Gasly in Monaco being a significant but not decisive factor. His next move in F1 remains to be seen, but several teams are already in the running to secure his talents.
Source: Planetf1
