This Monday morning, the French team formalized the end of the French driver’s contract so that he can begin post-season testing with Haas in Abu Dhabi.
Sad end for Esteban Ocon at Alpine. Driver for four years with the team still called Renaut two seasons ago, the Norman saw his contract terminated to instead leave for his new home, the Haas team. As of yesterday evening, the team’s boss, Oliver Oakes, announced ongoing discussions to terminate Ocon’s contract before the last GP of the season in Abu Dhabi. Obviously, the 28-year-old pilot won his case. Jack Doohan, Alpine reserve driver, will take his place this Sunday to conclude the 2024 season.
«Alpine announces the participation of its reserve driver Jack Doohan in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in place of Esteban Ocon. This change frees Esteban to drive for Haas during post-season testing in Abu Dhabi», indicated the Franco-British team in a press release.
«Already announced as an official driver alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2025 season, Jack Doohan will race with the N.61, his registered reserve number, and will also take part in the team’s end-of-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi», specifies Alpine.
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The rumor of this early ouster ignited the paddock of the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday and the team director, Oliver Oakes, confirmed late in the evening that the two parties were in negotiations for an early departure of the 28-year-old Frenchman. “We can say that it would be a good thing to have Jack start 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“, explained the Briton.
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.
Arriving in 2020 at the Alpine team, then called Renault, Ocon competed in 106 Grands Prix there and scored four podiums, including a victory, the only one of his career in F1, in Hungary in 2021.
This season, he is in 14th position with 23 points in the drivers’ standings, thanks in particular to his unexpected second place in the deluge at the Brazilian GP in early November.
