With an official note, Alpine announced the conclusion, at the end of the season, of the collaborative relationship with Esteban Ocon. In the five years spent with the French team Ocon achieved victory in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix and two other podium finishes, the second place in the 2020 Sakhir GP and third place in last year’s Monaco GP.
“First of all we would like to thank Esteban for his confirmed commitment over the last five years – commented team principal Bruno Famin – during this period we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which was a memorable victory at the Grand Prix Hungary 2021. There are sixteen races left until the end of the 2024 season, and we have a clear objective: to continue working tirelessly as a team to achieve the best. We wish Esteban the best in the next chapter of his career.”
Alpine thus deprives itself of the driver who has guaranteed it the best results in the last five years, seizing on what happened during the last Monaco Grand Prix to justify the decision. The management will focus on Pierre Gasly, even if at the moment it does not appear that he has already formalized the extension of the contract, as in the case of Ocon which expires at the end of the season.
“Racing for this team was an important chapter in my life – commented Ocon – I was with Alpine for five years, but my career as a professional driver had begun years earlier in Enstone, when I was just a teenager, and for this reason It will always have a special place in my memories. We have experienced wonderful moments together as well as more difficult days, but I am extremely grateful to all team members for these unforgettable moments. I will announce my plans very soon, but in the meantime I am fully focused on the rest of this season.”
Ocon is very close to successfully concluding a negotiation with Haas that has been underway for some time. Regardless of Alpine’s decision, Esteban’s plans were aimed at a change of scenery, and the opportunity offered to him by Haas is the one that convinced him the most at the moment. The decision is expected fairly soon, probably before the start of summer.
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