The first lap of the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix gave a great thrill shortly after the start, with the terrible accident that occurred to Sergio Perez due to a maneuver not investigated by the stewards but still very dangerous by Kevin Magnussen. This caused such a sensation that it overshadowed another event of some importance: the contact between the Alpines which forced Esteban Ocon to retire.
Both French, ambitious too. Above all, always rivals. There has been bad blood between Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon for several years now and, after a year of cohabitation full of ups and downs, here is the epilogue of Monte-Carlo. Arriving paired at the Portier, Ocon tried to overtake in the bend preceding the entrance to the tunnel. A position in which, also due to the size of today’s single-seaters, there is no space to remain side by side.
Gasly, once overtaken, could do nothing but remain very close to the guard rail outside the corner, but the two Enstone cars touched. Ocon’s A524 took off rear-end, landing heavily on the ground.
The race was neutralized a few seconds later due to what happened in the first sector between the Haas and Perez, so the Alpines returned to the pits. The mechanics had the opportunity to check the two cars, finding major cracks on Ocon’s. The A524 number 31 suffered breakages in the rear suspension arms and, above all, in the gearbox. This has proven irreparable and he will not be able to remain on the roster for the season.
At the end of the race Ocon refused to comment on the incident, stating that he had not yet seen the images of the accident. Pierre Gasly, however, certainly didn’t hold back, using strong words against his teammate and his way of racing.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“I was quite shocked. It was an unnecessary maneuver on his part. For the team, I was just… I mean, we should never find ourselves in certain situations, especially between teammates. It’s sad. I’m angry about what happened. Especially knowing that I had received instructions before the race on what to do. And when one car qualifies in front of the other, the one behind should give its contribution to the other in the race.”
“Unfortunately it didn’t happen. We certainly need to talk about it, because it can’t work like this. Especially in a season like this. A point or two could prove crucial at the end of the year, and we need to make sure that things like this don’t happen again.”
Gasly then went into more depth on the issue linked to the strategy decided by the team before the race. A scenario which, if confirmed, would not speak in favor of Ocon, author of an unnecessary maneuver which led Alpine to lose important points in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
“Before the race it was decided that the car that qualified in front of the other would have priority in strategies and support from the other. Obviously there was no risk to be taken on a track like this. We all know what happened. the most important thing for me is that things like this don’t happen again in the future. We had already been very close a couple of times before. Maybe we had discussed things too often.”
“Esteban is a professional rider. He knows what he should and shouldn’t do. Especially when you’re team mates. He’s a really strong rider, he knows what he’s doing, so he has to change.”
Ocon and Gasly had already been on a collision course last year at the Australian Grand Prix, when they threw away a double points finish in important positions due to a maneuver in which both demolished their respective cars. Damage in terms of points, but also for the accounts relating to the Budget Cap, which for the teams, since it has been in force, has become as fundamental a counter as the World ranking.
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