Formula 1 will see another driver line-up shakeup in 2025 as Esteban Ocon and Alpine have announced their decision to go their separate ways at the end of the current season.
The split will mark the end of a five-year partnership between the Enstone squad and Ocon. During this period, team and driver achieved their first F1 victory together at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, a significant milestone for Alpine and Ocon himself.
The 27-year-old Frenchman stepped up onto the podium on two other occasions: at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix – Ocon’s first career rostrum in F1 – and at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
“It’s been a significant period of my life to be racing at this team in Formula 1,” commented Ocon.
“While I’ve been here for five years as a full-time racing driver, my professional career started at Enstone back when I was a teenager, so it will always be a special place for me.
“We have had some great moments together, some tough moments as well, and I am certainly grateful to everyone at the team for these memorable times.
“I will announce my plans very soon but, in the meantime, my full focus is on delivering on track for this team and having a successful remainder of the season.”
Bruno Famin, Alpine team principal added: “We would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years.
“During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win.
“We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results."
While the exact reasons behind the split haven't been fully disclosed, the news comes amidst the controversy surrounding Ocon's clash with teammate Pierre Gasly at the recent Monaco Grand Prix, which reportedly left Alpine team management extremely frustrated.
The incident may have left the latter questioning the team dynamic between Ocon and Gasly. After their unfortunate clash, Ocon took to social media to take accountability for the run-in.
But he also hit back at the “misinformed statements and gross distortions” expressed on social media about his ability to work as a team player, allegation that he described as “inaccurate, hurtful, and damaging”.
Regardless, with Ocon now a free agent, speculation will undoubtedly swirl about his future landing spot.
Haas has been singled out as a strong possibility, with the US outfit potentially refreshing its line-up and outgoing Alpine charger with Ferrari protégé Oliver Bearman.
But Audi-Sauber is also reportedly interested in Ocon's services, especially if its efforts to lure Carlos Sainz to Hinwil prove unsuccessful.
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