Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have shared a rivalry since childhood, but now their tensions can be settled ahead of their potential partnership.
After Fernando Alonso announced that he would be leaving Alpine at the end of the season, the French team since then is seeking for suitable candidates to replace the Spaniard.
For now, according to the team boss Otmar Szafnauer there are 14 candidates for the job. But among them, Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher and Pierre Gasly have been the prime candidates.
With Gasly’s reports fueling, Alpine might see an all-French team with Ocon already at the helm. However, the two being from the same generation and nationality, have often competed against each other, which birthed a massive rivalry between the two.
It’s widely assumed that they would never accept each other as team-mates, but Ocon insists that he’s open to the idea. The Alpine driver claims that there is mutual admiration between the two.
“It’s going well, we have respect for each other,” he said when asked by Autosport about their current relationship. “I think that’s the important thing.”
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Esteban Ocon ready to work with Pierre Gasly
When asked whether Ocon would be comfortable teaming up with Gasly, the Alpine driver said the two drivers could work together. Though, he refrained from commenting much on the situation.
The Belgian GP will be race number 💯 for Pierre Gasly 💪
Will he be able to get a podium today? 💬#F1 #BelgianGP #AlphaTauri #Motorsport pic.twitter.com/KgKc9M5Tvz
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) August 28, 2022
“I don’t really have anything to comment for now,” he said after qualifying at Spa. “I am focused on doing the best job I can this weekend,” he added.
“I’ve got a contract and from everything that I know, and everybody knows, we’ve announced me to AlphaTauri, driving for AlphaTauri next year.”
Though Alpine has other promising candidates, too, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be considered over Gasly or not. The 26-year-old race driver’s nationality is a bonus for him, but how much that will factor remains to be seen.
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