“We have respect for each other”– Esteban Ocon claims tensions with $5 Million per year earning driver are gone

Tanish Chachra | 28/08/2022
"We have respect for each other"– Esteban Ocon claims tensions with $5 Million per year earning driver are gone

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.”

Also read: Why Max Verstappen didn’t give tow to Sergio Perez for pole position boost

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.

“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.

Also read: 33-year old former Red Bull driver could be better fit for Haas according to Guenther Steiner

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
AlphaTauri Alpine Esteban Ocon Pierre Gasly

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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