From “tell Esteban to fight like a lion” to “thanks to our dear friend”, the relationship between Fernand Alonso and Esteban Ocon has hit a massive slippery slope.
In the Brazilian Grand Prix, Ocon left no room for Alonso while competing for side by side at Turn 4. This forced the Spaniard to clip against his teammate and made him lose his front wing.
Alonso showed his anger on the radio with sarcasm. And now, ahead of his final two races, the two-time world champion is relieved that Ocon will no longer be his problem after the next weekend.
“I lost the front wing, thanks to our friend” 👀📻
Fernando Alonso is NOT happy! pic.twitter.com/6T5RDH3C0a
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 12, 2022
Also read: Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto expects Mercedes to join 2023 Championship fight
Fernando Alonso says not my problem
After the sprint race, Alonso said to Canal+ that it was about one more race, and after that, he would not be his problem anymore. He also cited Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez incidents to cite Ocon as a reckless driver.
‘I was very close to the wall in Jeddah this year and the wall in Budapest. Today, again, in turn 4 here… I think he had problems with Perez in the past, with Verstappen here unlapping himself… It is one more race. It is not my problem next year,” said Alonso.
Alonso will be leaving for Aston Martin after the end of this season. He will be replaced by Pierre Gasly, making the French team with an all-French lineup at their disposal.
Aston Martin will beat Alpine
In 2023, Aston Martin has been a step below the likes of McLaren and Alpine. But going into the Silverstone-based team ahead of the following season, Alonso predicts Aston Martin will manage to defeat Alpine while still being an Alpine driver.
Though, it’s a big worry how he will bond with Lance Stroll. The Canadian driver also holds a bad reputation for his bad driving. During the USGP, Stroll made Alonso go airborne and could have gotten him injured.
In the same fashion, he tried to defend against Sebastian Vettel on Saturday. Vettel was lucky not to make contact but lost his momentum in the race. In the end, Stroll was given a five-second penalty.
Also read: Red Bull chief explains why Max Verstappen didn’t swap positions with Sergio Perez at Interlagos
