F1 | Haas to offer Ocon communication he never had at Alpine

Esteban Ocon has bemoaned the lack of communication within the Alpine Formula 1 team and said he will do his best “not to miss any detail” at Haas.

The Frenchman has spent the last four and a half seasons with the Enstone-based outfit, whose performance has stagnated and then worsened over that time. The team has fallen from fourth in the 2022 constructors’ championship to eighth place with just 11 points scored, the team’s worst record since the 2016 campaign, when Renault returned to F1 as a constructor.

With Alpine’s decision to part ways for next season – the announcement coming in the wake of a Monaco collision with teammate and rival Pierre Gasly, for which then-team principal Bruno Famin warned there would be “consequences” – Ocon will move to Haas.

Ocon’s time at Alpine was marked by instability within the company, especially at management level, with the departure of 12 team leaders, including four team principals and five technical chiefs.

He is particularly exacerbated by the lack of communication within the team, which he considers the main cause of his current decline.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Ocon asked if he has any regrets about leaving Alpine: “No, because I gave everything I had to this team.”

“Regrets to such an extent that, you know, it’s not just me: it’s Daniel [Ricciardo]Fernando [Alonso]Peter [Gasly]myself. All the riders who have passed through this team have given feedback to the team.

“Normally there is a circle where, from the drivers to the team, some information is given. Then there is the technical feedback: ‘yes, you are right, we have to address this’ or ‘no, we cannot, because of this or that reason’. There was none of that. The following year it turns out that some of the problems that were discussed were not solved and went in the opposite direction.”

“I try to lead the team as best I can, but we haven’t always been listened to. And that’s why some problems still remain after five years in this team.”

“There are new people now, inside the team, on the technical side. I wish them the best and I hope this team can be successful. But that circle was fundamental from the beginning and it was not put in place properly to make us take a step – a sufficient step for the future.”

This negative experience will nevertheless be invaluable for Ocon, who will try to make the most of his new challenge at Haas, where he will partner rookie Oliver Bearman.

Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Asked if he would take on the role of team leader on the American team, given his teammate’s lack of experience, Ocon was nuanced: “I don’t know if ‘team leader’ is the right thing to say, but I will put in the effort, the effort, the dedication to not miss any detail and to share everything that I think is important to improve – but quickly.”

“You don’t have to wait a year for things to come, because it takes time to develop them, to create them. And if you miss something for the first six months, well, it can take a year and six months for it to come to you.”

“I’ve learned that the circle is the key. And it has to happen. And I’m going to make sure that once I say something it gets [un feedback] and an explanation, so that we can open a debate. Because if you talk in the air, you know, the conversation gets lost and goes nowhere.”