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“Fernando Alonso is the only guy you can completely trust”- Alpine’s Esteban Ocon on what makes his teammate an exceptional competitor

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Fernando Alonso is the only guy you can completely trust"- Alpine's Esteban Ocon on what makes his teammate an exceptional competitor

Esteban Ocon insists that in spite of his reputation for being hard to deal with, being around Fernando Alonso is extremely easy. 

Alonso is a two-time World Champion, having won the 2005 and 2006 Titles with Renault. He left the sport in 2018, taking a two year hiatus. In those two years, the legendary driver competed in other racing ventures like IndyCar and Le Mans.

In 2021 however, he returned to the them with whom he won his Titles. Renault had been rebranded as Alpine, and his teammate was going to be Ocon. Upon his arrival to the team, Ocon revealed how others warned him about his new teammates presence. However, it didn’t turn out to be true in his case.

During the latest episode of Beyond the Grid , Ocon talks about how Alonso surprised him. Despite his reputation, he describes the Spaniard as one of the most fun people to be around.

“When he joined, I realized we have a lot in common,” he said. “We both like racing more than anything else here. He’s proving it by what he does. He won two World Titles and won some of the biggest races in the world, but still came back to Formula 1. He’s still as fast as he was!”

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Everything Fernando Alonso does is for racing, says Esteban Ocon

Ocon went on to say that everything Alonso does is for racing. It’s a passion for which that exceeds anything else he desires, and it’s something else he finds in common between the two.

“All of his life is about racing,” the 25-year old continues. “Everything that he does is about racing. It can sound a bit boring like that, we don’t have much outside interest apart from that.”

Ocon was then asked if he could have a laugh around the two-time World Champion. “Yeah! He’s a very funny guy,” Ocon replied. “We have lots of great banter together. I am very happy to be his teammate, it’s an honor.”

The host of the podcast then recalls something former Red Bull driver Mark Webber said. The Australian was racing Alonso wheel to wheel around Eau Rouge back in 2011. In spite of it being one of the most dangerous corners in F1, Webber said, “He’s the only guy you can completely trust (to do that with).”

Ocon weighed in on this comment saying that his battles with Alonso are extremely clean, and that Alpine trusts the two to race each other clean and proper. He adds a remark stating that Alonso is a fairer racing driver than his former teammate Sergio Perez.

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About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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