Esteban Ocon and Alpine will part ways at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, concluding a five-year partnership.
Ocon joined Renault in 2020, which was rebranded as Alpine in 2021. During his tenure, Ocon achieved notable successes, including his and Alpine's maiden F1 win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, and podium finishes at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. His best year-end finish was eighth in the 2022 championship standings.
The news comes hot on the heels of a weekend in Monaco when the Frenchman clashed with teammate Pierre Gasly on the opening lap of the race, earning himself a five-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix. Team Principal Bruno Famin hinted at "consequences" for such actions. Subsequently, Ocon apologised to the team and expressed his distress over the abuse and negativity he received following the incident on social media.
Sources have it that the decision to axe Ocon was made not because of the Monaco clash, considering that his future at the team has been under consideration for some time now. Discussions about Ocon's departure began earlier this year, primarily driven by Alpine's poor performance in the early stages of the 2024 season. Both Ocon and Gasly have scored only a point apiece in eight rounds. Alpine confirmed that both parties had "agreed together to part ways at the end of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season."
Team boss Bruno Famin stated, "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. We wish Esteban the very best for the next chapter of his driving career when that moment comes."
Ocon remarked, "It's been a significant period of my life to be racing at this team in Formula 1. 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."
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Who Will Replace Ocon?
Speculation is rife about who will replace Ocon. The current drivers without a confirmed seat for next season include Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Zhou Guanyu, and Valtteri Bottas.
Alpine might also consider their reserve driver, Jack Doohan, who has shown promise in Formula 2, finishing sixth in the 2022 championship and fourth in the 2023 championship with six wins and 11 podium finishes.
Another potential candidate is Mick Schumacher, who raced for Haas F1 Team in the 2021 and 2022 seasons and served as a reserve driver for Mercedes-AMG Petronas and McLaren F1 Teams in 2023. Schumacher joined Alpine's World Endurance Hypercar team for the 2024 season. Team Principal Bruno Famin stated, "Everything is open for 2025; everyone talks to everyone. It would be a mistake not to have Mick on the list." However, Schumacher might be an unlikely option as, according to the German publication Auto Motor und Sport, IndyCar's Dale Coyne is keen on signing the 25-year-old.
In his statement, Ocon added that "news would be announced in due course" regarding his future.
