Alpine to bid farewell to Esteban Ocon after 2024 F1 season
- Planet Sport writer
- 3 June 2024
Alpine and Esteban Ocon have announced their separation at the conclusion of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign, marking the conclusion of a five-year partnership.
Ocon, aged 27, commenced his tenure with the Enstone-based outfit in 2020 and attained a milestone victory for himself and Alpine at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Over his tenure, Ocon secured two additional podium finishes, notably at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, while registering his highest year-end finish of eighth in 2022.
The decision not to extend Ocon's contract for 2025 was made following a period of contemplation by Alpine's team principal, Bruno Famin, regarding the driver line-up for the upcoming season.
In response to the news, Ocon expressed gratitude for his time with the team, stating, "It's been a significant period of my life to be racing at this team in Formula 1. While I've been here for five years as a full-time racing driver, my professional career started at Enstone back when I was a teenager, so it will always be a special place for me."
Alpine indicated that the details of their 2025 driver lineup will be revealed in due time, while Ocon assured fans that he will announce his future endeavours shortly.
Famin conveyed his appreciation for Ocon's contributions, remarking, "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."
The announcement follows a challenging race weekend in Monaco for Alpine, during which Ocon was involved in a collision with Pierre Gasly on the opening lap, resulting in a grid penalty for the subsequent Canadian Grand Prix.
Ocon expressed disappointment over the backlash he received following the incident, stating, "I have been deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity."
While sources affirm that the decision to part ways with Ocon had been deliberated prior to the Monaco clash, the incident undoubtedly factored into the overall assessment.
The upcoming fixture on the Formula 1 calendar is the Canadian Grand Prix, scheduled for the weekend of June 7-9. The race, set to be the ninth of the season, will unfold over 70 laps at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal on Sunday, June 9.
