Esteban Ocon recently expressed his thoughts on Alpine’s delicate situation in Formula 1, while maintaining some reserve on certain points so as not to attract media attention.
Esteban Ocon recently shared his feelings on Alpine’s plight in Formula 1, while remaining tight-lipped on certain aspects to avoid attracting media attention. As he prepares to join the Haas team in 2025, the French driver recalls his years with Alpine and expresses some sadness at the team’s decline.
An inevitable departure
Esteban Ocon, who scored his first and only F1 victory with Alpine in 2021, admits his relationship with the team and their performance has continued to deteriorate since. However, he prefers to keep the exact reasons for this situation to himself.
“I have some explanations, but I prefer to keep them to myself. I don’t want to make the headlines here”
he declares.
Despite tensions with management, particularly after his clash with Pierre Gasly in Monaco, Ocon insists that his decision to leave the team was already made before this incident. Indeed, discussions with other teams had already started during the 2023 season, and Ocon was clear about his desire to take on a new challenge.
Discussions with several teams
While he had spoken with several teams, including Audi, Ocon explains that it was ultimately the presence of Ayao Komatsu at Haas that convinced him to join the American team.
Komatsu, a seasoned engineer, seems to have had a decisive impact on the French driver’s decision. “He is an experienced racing engineer who knows what he is talking about”
explains Ocon.
He is also attracted to the Haas project, which employs only 300 people but manages to achieve much better results than some larger teams. With upcoming investments and clear objectives, Ocon was won over by the passion and ambition of the team.
The end of a painful adventure at Alpine
For Ocon, the end of his career at Alpine is particularly painful. He started with high expectations when he signed in 2020, hoping the team would achieve its goals in five years. However, these hopes were dashed.
“It’s really sad to see where we are nowhe confides. Alpine comes from Normandy, like me. I have always been proud to wear the logo. The brand deserves better.”
Faced with this situation, Ocon made the decision to seek a new challenge quite early in the season, especially after realizing that the 2024 car would not be competitive. This situation has made the season difficult to live through, and Ocon admits that facing such a drop in the hierarchy has not been pleasant.
Controversial reputation in the paddock
Despite his strong performances on track, Ocon has not escaped criticism regarding his behavior outside of racing. He is often perceived as difficult to manage, especially with his teammates.
Ocon, however, disputes this image and shares a revealing anecdote: “After one ordeal, a young journalist told me he didn’t really like me before, but after our conversation he told me he really liked me.”
He also points out that, despite his clashes with his teammates, no team he has raced for has lost championship places because of these internal tensions.
A new start at Haas
As he prepares to join Haas, Ocon sees this new challenge as an opportunity to relaunch his F1 career. He cites the example of Jenson Button, who went through difficult times before finally winning a title.
“We must not lose hope” concludes Ocon, confident in his ability to bounce back and fight for great success in Formula 1 again.
Ocon’s time at Alpine will have been marked by ups and downs, but this new step at Haas could well offer him the opportunity to find form and silence the critics.
