Alpine have introduced the departure of Esteban Ocon from the workforce on the finish of 2024, within the aftermath of his lap one coming along with teammate Pierre Gasly throughout the Monaco GP. Nonetheless, the ramifications of Ocon’s incident may have had been extra fast if workforce boss Bruno Famin had his approach.
In accordance with French information outlet L’Equipe (as reported by Motorsport Week), Famin wished to droop Ocon on the 2024 Canadian GP. Whereas Ocon spent the weekend on the sidelines, Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan was imagined to fill in for the #31 driver.
Nonetheless, Famin was restrained from taking such drastic steps by the Enstone-based workforce’s authorized division. L’Equipe wrote that Ocon “may have the deprivation of his proper to work famous and demand that he assert his rights and subsequently get into his single-seater” by turning as much as Montreal with a bailiff.
On lap one of many 2024 Monaco GP, Ocon tried an audacious transfer on his teammate, popping out of Portier. This led to Ocon’s left rear tire making contact with Gasly’s proper entrance, sending the previous catapulting into the air.
This incident threatened a double DNF for Alpine, however ultimately, solely Ocon’s A542 had sustained sufficient injury to the ground to warrant a retirement. In the meantime, Gasly went on to attain his first factors for Alpine in 2024 with a tenth-placed end.
Regardless of this, the #10 driver slammed his teammate post-race and known as the 27-year-old out for his “habits”. Ocon, however, got here onto his social media handles to difficulty an apology to the workforce.
Alpine most probably parted methods with Esteban Ocon after his Monaco GP incident
Within the weeks after the incident, Alpine launched an announcement, asserting that they might not be renewing the #31 driver’s contract after the tip of the 2024 season. Nonetheless, it has been clarified that this choice was not a direct retaliation of the Monaco GP shunt. That mentioned, this might have dire penalties for Ocon’s future within the sport.
Regardless of having an affiliation with Mercedes, the 27-year-old doesn’t have a shot on the Silver Arrows’ second seat for subsequent yr. With each Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso signing long-term offers with their respective groups, Purple Bull and Aston Martin can be dominated out.
This leaves Ocon with solely Haas as a attainable seat in 2025. And whereas his profession on monitor has been jeopardized, he’s confronted a whole lot of backlash from his boss, Famin, and followers as nicely. Famin, within the direct aftermath of the incident, admonished Ocon on French tv.
Then again, followers swarmed to social media and closely criticized the actions of the French-born racing driver. This even led to Ocon placing out an announcement and calling out all of the “abuse” he had obtained within the wake of the incident.
