Alpine has confirmed Esteban Ocon will not participate in what was due to be his final start for the team.
Jack Doohan, who was due to take Ocon’s place in the team’s line-up for 2025, will instead make his debut for the team one race early.Alpine confirmed Ocon has been released from his contract ahead of schedule in order to allow him to begin work with his new team, Haas, early. He will drive for them in the post-season test at the Yas Marina.
Speculation over Ocon’s future was triggered by the driver’s comments following his first-lap retirement in yesterday’s race. However Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes, seemingly surprised by the news, did not confirm the change when asked yesterday. Oakes was appointed team principal at mid-season in place of Bruno Famin, under whom Ocon’s planned departure was announced in May.
“I had a good start to the race and had passed Franco, I was on the left side of Nico but I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It got very narrow and unfortunately, I was already on the outside when the collision occurred and our race was then over. It was a racing incident and not something that we wanted.”
Ocon joined Alpine under its previous identity, Renault, in 2020. He scored his and Alpine’s only victory to date in the Hungarian Grand Prix the following year, and signed a new contract soon afterwards. He achieved the team’s best result this year with second place in Brazil, ahead of team mate Pierre Gasly.
Doohan will race using his reserve driver number 61 this weekend. He will take his career number, seven, from the start of next season.
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Jere (@jerejj)
2nd December 2024, 9:33
As I suspected based on his interview pen words & Oakes’ words.
Simon
2nd December 2024, 22:18
https://media1.tenor.com/m/j4ZWXBeNKZcAAAAd/sarcasm-slow-clap.gif
SPArtacus
3rd December 2024, 6:25
I’m not big on conspiracy theories, but I suspect their goal with this is to produce an excuse for dumping Doohan and therefore I won’t be surprised if this weekend turns out to be an absolute disaster for Jack who I really like, but who I am surprised they signed.
Paul (@frankjaeger)
2nd December 2024, 9:35
Odd, aren’t they trying to hold off Haas for a place in the WCC?
HUHHII (@huhhii)
2nd December 2024, 9:37
Alpine didn’t want to allow Ocon first race for them and then take part in post-season test for Haas. By not racing he is allowed to partake in the test
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd December 2024, 9:53
@huhhii
The decision to participate in the post-season test was made quite a while ago, so nothing to do with this sudden early departure, & no different from leaving drivers generally doing a post-season test for the following season’s team after finishing the season normally.
HUHHII (@huhhii)
2nd December 2024, 10:18
@jerejj
Ted Kravitz confirmed that Ocon agreed to miss the Abu Dhabi GP with Alpine in order to participate in the post season test for Haas, leaving Alpine free to put Doohan in the car for the GP
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd December 2024, 10:27
@huhhii If that indeed is true, then Ocon & Alpine must’ve agreed about his withdrawal from the Abu Dhabi GP already when the decision about driving for Haas in the post-season test was made, & it certainly was made before the Qatar GP at the latest, as otherwise, he wouldn’t have talked in a manner that suggests departure in the interview pen if he didn’t know yet by that point.
Nevertheless, bringing the already-planned driver change forward by one round was better for both parties in the end.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
2nd December 2024, 9:53
I suspect what Paul is suggesting is that Alpine would stand a better chance to finish ahead of Haas with an experienced racer, instead of throwing in a rookie for the final round. Unless they think that the driver moving to the rival team is a hindrance for that cause. Which I don’t think Ocon would intentionally do, but it’s probably best for him to move on from them if he can get a head start at Haas.
PeteB (@peteb)
2nd December 2024, 11:52
I don’t think Ocon would intentionally do something like that but if I was told one driver had done so, I’d guess it was Ocon…
BLS (@brightlampshade)
2nd December 2024, 9:48
Probably what’s best for everyone. Not ideal how his last race for them ended, but in the long run it’s best for both parties.
Wonder if Hamilton’s on the phone to Toto this morning?
Robert Williams (@weiliwen)
2nd December 2024, 17:10
My thoughts exactly.
harsh vardhan harsh vardhan
2nd December 2024, 10:13
Ocon paid heavily for his battles with his teammates. Does he deserve it ? May be
hje
2nd December 2024, 12:25
You mean that moment when he had to defend Gasly in front of the stewards, to save him from incoming race ban, in just his 4th race in Alpine?
Yeah, that’s quite a big price, if you ask me.
harsh vardhan harsh vardhan
2nd December 2024, 14:06
But Ocon got bad reputation for being not a great team player. Now that team is not giving him a proper send off.
roadrunner (@roadrunner)
2nd December 2024, 10:51
If Alpine will indeed end up fifth in the constructors they can thank their drivers. They’re at least one league aboth the team, it’s management and the car. Yes, they, and especially Ocon, can be annoying, but they regularly drag that do of a car into contention. So it’s a bit sad that he leave them without a propper au revoir, but apparently it’s a win win situation.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd December 2024, 14:43
Alpine can’t reach Aston Martin anymore with a gap of 33 points, which is too much for a midfield team in one race, especially on a circuit with high likelihood of a neutralization-free race.
roadrunner (@roadrunner)
2nd December 2024, 14:47
Yes, surely. I meant 6. I have completely forgotten about Aston Martin still existing after their second half of the season…
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd December 2024, 16:43
That’s what I thought in the first place, but I still wanted to refer just in case you hadn’t mistyped.
sumedh
2nd December 2024, 11:12
I wouldn’t put it past Ocon to let the Haas drivers past and let his future team finish 6th and let his own current team down. Remember what he did to Max in Brazil 2018 when he desperately wanted to go back to being Mercedes reserve.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
2nd December 2024, 16:52
Wonder what the bonus for him from Haas would be, knowing how much one place in the constructors’ is worth?! Or at least a bit more to spend on their 2025 car.
Maybe Ocon just feels the same way I do about Yas Marina…
The Dolphins
2nd December 2024, 19:38
@sumedh Brazil 2018 was foreshadowing Silverstone 2021. In Max’s own words, “that’s what you get when you don’t leave the space” Max will just drive into you as he demonstrated time and again.
SPArtacus
3rd December 2024, 6:29
Or, as Fernando famously said during the 2012 Bahrain GP, “All the time! All the time you have to leave the space!”
Alesici
2nd December 2024, 22:41
Well it wouldn’t be the first time a driver has thrown their existing team under the bus at the last race to benefit their future team. Charles Pic did it to Marussia in Brazil 2012, handing the massive top 10 prize money to Caterham. This contributed quite significantly to the complete destruction of Marussia.
I guess Flavio couldn’t trust Ocon to not throw the race. I guess it takes a cheat to know a cheat…
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
3rd December 2024, 13:10
probably the other way around, Ocon’s team couldn’t even manage his pit stop the race before, ensuring he couldn’t beat his teammate on points in the season.
If anything Alpine want Jack in his seat, because at least Jack D. is bringing in more money from his dad’s fund buddies.