Esteban Ocon to LEAVE Alpine and lose his F1 seat at the end of the season… just days after furious team boss threatened ‘consequences’ for Monaco collision with teammate
Esteban Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the team has confirmed.
The Frenchman’s future on the grid is now in serious doubt and news of his departure comes just days after team boss Bruno Famin threatened ‘consequences’ following his crash with team-mate Pierre Gasly in Monaco.
Ocon, 27, has been in F1 since 2016 but now faces a fight to keep his place in the sport, and his performances so far this season have done little to help his cause.
He has just one point in the drivers’ standings and is 16th heading into this weekend’s race in Canada, where he faces a five-place grid drop after colliding with his teammate last time.
The incident on the first lap in Monaco left Alpine team boss Famin furious, with the team boss immediately criticizing Ocon on French TV – while the race was still in progress.
French driver Esteban Ocon is out of Alpine, putting his future in Formula 1 in serious doubt
Ocon arrived in the Monaco paddock last week with his girlfriend Flavy Barla
‘It’s sad, these kinds of incidents. It’s exactly what we didn’t want to see. And there will be consequences,” he said.
‘It was a clear instruction from the team about what we had to do, what we had to do, and it was not respected.
‘Potentially we could have scored points with both cars. We will talk about it, I am sure we will move forward and find solutions in the future.”
That solution has now been found and means that Ocon will no longer race for Alpine in 2025.
After the Monaco race, Ocon apologized for the incident on social media and admitted it was his fault.
He subsequently faced a significant amount of abuse, which he also addressed in a post earlier this week.
Ocon crashed into his teammate Pierre Gasly on the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix last week
“I see and feel this every weekend at the track and on social media… the good and the bad,” he wrote on to work with a team has been inaccurate, hurtful and harmful.”
Ocon posted again on Monday morning, confirming his departure from Alpine and thanking the team for the role they played in his career.
His statement reads: ‘BWT Alpine F1 Team and I have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the 2024 F1 season.
‘The Enstone-Viry family has played an important role in my life, dating back to my Lotus junior program days. I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have achieved the things I have with this team, from my first podium to my first win in Formula 1. These achievements were truly dreams come true.
‘I have met so many inspiring people in my time here and there are too many to thank for their hard work, passion and dedication to the cause. But also for their kindness and support that I have received over the years.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and certainly some downs, but all I can say is that it was an honor to race alongside you, whether in the factories or on the track.
‘Yet there is still a long way to go this season and my focus and energy are 100% committed to this team and the work we need to do together to move forward and maximize our results on track.
Ocon (right) has had a difficult relationship with his teammate and compatriot Pierre Gasly
“Like many drivers this season, a lot has been said about my future beyond 2024. News will be announced in due course.”
There are still sixteen races left in the 2024 season, giving Ocon ample time to prove himself and fight for a spot with another team for 2025.
As it stands, there are plenty of drivers without contracts, with seats available at the likes of Williams, Haas, Sauber, Visa Cash App RB – and even the main Red Bull team.
In his F1 career, Ocon has raced 141 times, with three podium finishes and one win: at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
