With three points in Canada, Alpine finally has something to rejoice about. What would please them even more is that both their drivers finished in points-scoring positions. However, exit-bound Esteban Ocon is fuming, and he might just have a justified reason to be angry.
Both Alpine drivers were cruising in points positions in a race that went haywire, owing to the ever-changing track conditions. Ocon, in P9, led his teammate Pierre Gasly as the race had less than three laps to go.
Just then, Ocon received team orders to let Gasly pass and finish in his place. The change of positions between the duo made no sense, according to Ocon. He yet obliged. But he made sure his anger was known not just to the team but to everyone watching.
Responding on the team radio, he said, “No comment. I am too nice, too nice. I’ve done what I had to do, which is the most important. But you guys didn’t do what you had to do. That’s it.” He added, “Happy to be working with you guys – Stew, Dave, and Josh (Alpine engineers). Very happy. Thanks for supporting, thanks for supporting.”
Ocon team radio post-race:
“No comment. I am too nice, too nice.
“I’ve done what I had to do, which is the most important.
“But you guys didn’t do what you had to do. That’s it.”
— formularacers (@formularacers_) June 9, 2024
Conceding the position to Gasly must have hurt Ocon, given the long-standing animosity between the duo. Despite becoming teammates, things haven’t changed much between them, as was evident at the Monaco GP.
Ocon’s momentary misjudgment caused a major incident with Gasly. The incident ended Ocon’s race and infuriated Alpine team boss Bruno Famin, ultimately costing the 27-year-old his seat in 2025.
How the Monaco GP incident cost Esteban Ocon his Alpine seat
The Monaco GP got off to a chaotic start as the incident between Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hulkenberg caused the red flags to come out. However, before the flags could come out, action continued between the Alpine drivers.
Right before the famous tunnel, Ocon turned into Gasly, in a place where there wasn’t much space. The contact launched the former into the air and the resultant damage ended his race.
The incident saw Ocon garner criticism from fans and experts alike. However, it was Famin’s anger that made the headlines. Shortly after the crash, the Alpine boss vowed to take action against Ocon and warned him of the same.
As criticism continued to pile on, Ocon apologized for the incident. However, he hit back at critics for over-the-top criticism through a social media post. The damage, however, was done. Alpine soon announced their decision to let the driver go in 2025. The decision, as per the team, was mutually agreed upon with Ocon himself.
