The last few days have not been easy for Esteban Ocon who, after the accident during the first lap in Monaco, saw many rumors ricocheting about him online. In reality, the one before the tunnel was not the only contact between the two Alpine standard-bearers, because already on the climb towards Massenet they had come to a very close comparison.
While Ocon tried to enter on the right into a space left free by Gasly, the latter suddenly closed his path, risking pushing him against the barriers. Even though the two cars did not suffer any particular damage from this episode, Ocon was still forced to manage and control the car, with the danger of ending up against the external barriers and causing a much more serious accident.
However, the duel then continued in the following corners, until the well-known accident just before the tunnel, with Ocon attempting to overtake in a very narrow area of the track, ending up touching his teammate. Ocon himself suffered the worst, with the Frenchman suffering damage to his rear suspension, thus being unable to resume the race after the red flag. Gasly was luckier, as he did not suffer any particular damage, thus returning to the track to bring home his first point this season.
Alpine team principal Bruno Famin held Ocon responsible for the collision, underlining how there would have been consequences for the episode, which was considered unacceptable given the risk of compromising the team result. Furthermore, as stated by Pierre Gasly, there were specific team orders to be respected depending on the result of the qualifying, with the driver furthest back on the grid playing in support of the one better positioned.
The comments expressed by Bruno Famin clearly fueled doubts about what actions the French team could take to manage the situation, to the point of hypothesizing that Ocon could skip the Canadian GP. While Alpine is known to have considered a number of options, Ocon has now taken to social media to reiterate that he will attend the Montreal race: “I can’t wait to race in Montreal, in front of the fantastic Canadian fans, and to seize the exciting opportunities that the future holds for me.”
Ocon also wanted to defend himself from the criticism he has received in recent days, noting that he is “deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity I have received online regarding my character, how I drive and my career” after Sunday’s accident.
“I have always been a fierce driver and, like most drivers, I have had my share of accidents. I was fortunate to race alongside talented and experienced teammates, including winners like Daniel [Ricciardo]Checo [Perez] and Pierre [Gasly]and a world champion like Fernando [Alonso]. As teammates, we often start races very close to each other, which in some cases has resulted in tough battles on the track and sometimes contact,” continues the statement from Ocon, who has had his moments over the years difficult on the track as with Perez in 2017/8 or with Gasly last season.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524
Photo by: Alpine
However, the Frenchman wanted to point out that over the years he has assumed his responsibilities, like last Sunday, when he admitted having made a mistake with that overtaking attempt. On the other hand, however, Ocon felt attacked for all the criticism received in recent days which, from his point of view, represents a distortion of reality: “Of course I made mistakes. We are not robots, we are athletes who push themselves to the limit every day to realize the dream of winning races.”
“But the misinformed claims and gross distortions I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work in teams are inaccurate, offensive and harmful. Since my first laps in motorsport, I have approached this sport with humility, professionalism and respect. Even though each driver chases individual glory, this will always be a team sport first and foremost.”
Ocon stressed that, while he accepted the blame for the collision, he always followed the instructions given to him to maximize the team result: “I always followed the instructions given to me and I raced to get the most for and with my team. I took responsibility for last Sunday’s first lap accident and, despite my retirement, I’m happy that the team added a point to their tally in what has been a difficult start to the season for all of us.”
“In Formula 1 there is no reward without risk and race starts are intense, even more so in Monaco where the opening lap can determine the final result. In the end, we are all competitors and the tough, fair challenges between all the drivers on the grid are what makes our sport so great and the main reason why I love this sport so much.”
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