Formula 1’s silly season, which usually sees drivers and teams swapping around in a flurry of news and surprises, has come early this year. After he led a run-in with his teammate Pierre Gasly at Alpine, many speculated that Alpine would bench driver Esteban Ocon for a race or two, but the news out this morning is that he and the team will part ways at the end of the 2024 season.
In a social media post after the incident, Ocon said it was an “honest mistake,” saying he’d received a load of negativity and abuse online. Even so, it’s not Ocon’s first spat with a teammate, though he denied that he was not a team player, calling the accusations “inaccurate, hurtful, and damaging.”
The 27-year-old driver has some options to keep a seat on the grid, as Audi still needs a filler, and Haas will likely look for a fresh face to shake things up. Either way, he and Alpine have an awkward 16 races remaining in 2024, which he will likely hope to use to showcase his talents over his sometimes hot-headed treatment of teammates.
In typical F1 fashion, the team released a nothingburger of a statement, with principal Bruno Famin saying, “We would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win. We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: To continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results.”
Alpine now finds itself looking for a driver in hopes of improving on its dismal performances so far in 2024. The team has scored just two points, including Ocon’s single in Miami and Gasly’s P10 finish after the collision in Monaco.
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