Departing for Haas, the French driver is negotiating an early separation before the last Grand Prix of the season, as confirmed by Alpine on Sunday in Qatar.
Frenchman Esteban Ocon and Alpine are currently negotiating an early separation before the last Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi next weekend, team boss Oliver Oakes said on Sunday. “There has been a discussion, there is no definitive answer yet, but we have talked about it. It’s a bit complex (…) It’s obvious that he would also like to be released earlier. I think it comes from all parties”explained the Briton to the press after the Qatar Grand Prix.
Departing for Haas, Ocon would leave his seat to the Australian Jack Doohan who will succeed him in 2025 in order to be able to participate in the end of season tests in the single-seater of the American team two days after the Abu Dhabi GP. “We can say that it would be a good thing to start Jack earlier, that for Esteban it would be good to move on earlier. I think it suits everyone. The discussion is completely natural. Honestly, Esteban has played an important role in this team and, on both sides, it suits everyone”added Oakes.
A little earlier in the evening, Ocon had already cast doubt on his participation in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by emphatically thanking his mechanics and engineers after his early retirement from the Qatar GP.
“Not much to say about this race… I would like to thank the mechanics, the engineers for all their efforts on this race but also especially throughout the rest of the year. It was an important word for me because in difficult times we continued to push and I wanted to thank them for that.declared the 28-year-old pilot at the microphone of Canal+. Asked about his approach to the last race, he replied «It’s worth it» after a long silence.
Abandonment at Lusail
On Sunday, the race came to an end for the Norman, who started in last position and had to abandon after a collision with the Argentinian Franco Colapinto (Williams) and the German Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) at the first corner of what will probably be his last race with the Franco-British team.
Arriving in 2020 at the Alpine team, then called Renault, Ocon competed in 106 Grands Prix there and won four podiums, including a victory, the only one of his career in F1, in Hungary in 2021. This season, he is in 14th position in the drivers’ standings, thanks in particular to his unexpected second place under the deluge at the Brazilian GP in early November.
