“Makes sense to be on the safe side”

The Alpine team has rejected criticism of the last-minute decision to replace Esteban Ocon with Jack Doohan for the final race of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi. Team boss Oliver Oakes admits that the timing of the decision is “not perfect”, but emphasizes that the move is in the interests of everyone involved.

On the sidelines of the Qatar Grand Prix, Alpine decided to release Ocon early for the winter test of his new team Haas only if he gave up his starting place in the season finale. So there was a short-term driver change: Jack Doohan, who will drive Alpine next year, will take over in Abu Dhabi.

This decision was apparently made at the initiative of Alpine consultant Flavio Briatore, after Ocon had already reached an agreement with Haas for the test drives weeks ago. Oakes defends the decision: “Nothing is perfect in Formula 1, and both sides could have clarified this earlier. But we have to do what is right for the team.”

Ocon was disappointed by the sudden change. After the race in Qatar, he explained on social media that his departure from Alpine after five years together had not gone as he had wanted. It was particularly painful that he had planned a special farewell helmet for the last race.

“Simple decision in the interest of the team”

Oakes points out that Ocon expressed a desire to start the test for Haas. “No problem, thank you very much. You've done a lot for us and we appreciate it.” At the same time, he emphasizes that it is a great advantage for Alpine to let Doohan gain racing experience now.

“It's in our interest to put Jack in the car much earlier. That's a win for us. A lot of people make more of this decision than is necessary. But at the end of the day it's very simple,” says the Alpine team boss .

Oakes also points to other examples in the current season. Several teams, including Haas with Oliver Bearman, have shown how important it is to give young drivers a chance early on: “I think this year we saw how advantageous it is to get rookies into the car earlier. Two or three “The teams we'll be fighting against next year have done the same. That's a real advantage for us.”

Fight for 6th place: Would Ocon have driven with Haas?

Alpine faces a delicate situation in Abu Dhabi: the team is only five points ahead of Haas, Ocon's future home, in the constructors' championship. While Oakes emphasizes that he does not want to assume anything about Ocon, he believes the decision to bet on Doohan makes strategic sense.

“We're fighting for sixth place with the team Esteban is joining next year. So it makes sense to play it safe,” he explains. In addition, Ocon had difficulty keeping up with the pace of his teammate Pierre Gasly in the last few races. “Whether he's already mentally finished or whether the last upgrade didn't suit him, who knows.”

Oakes still emphasizes that Ocon is a strong driver: “He showed a strong performance in Brazil. But I think Pierre had a small advantage with the upgrades. That's normal, you can see that everywhere in the field.”

Doohan: Important step in development

For Jack Doohan, the mission in Abu Dhabi is an important moment. So far, the Australian has only taken part in Friday training sessions and private tests for Alpine. Now he has the opportunity to gain experience in a race.

Oakes believes this is the right move in the long term. “There is no major cause for concern if we use Jack instead of Esteban. Recent results show that the risk is manageable.” Doohan's commitment is also crucial for Alpine's future, said Oakes: “We have to do what's right for us. It's pretty simple. It gives us a real advantage to use him earlier.”

Finally, Oakes expressed his respect for Ocon and his upcoming move to Haas: “He will definitely make life difficult for us next year because Haas is having a good season. I wish him all the best.”