Esteban Ocon is in talks to join a rival Formula 1 team having become ‘unhappy’ at Alpine and now feeling that he could unlock more potential elsewhere on the grid.
The 27-year-old has endured a tough season so far after Alpine began 2024 on the wrong foot. Ocon has only scored one point through the first seven rounds after taking a P10 finish in the Miami GP. His substandard start this year leaves the Frenchman 15th in the standings.
Ocon also scored the only point Alpine have posted with Pierre Gasly yet to get off the mark in the other A524. So, the Renault-owned outfit head to the Monaco GP down in just eighth place in the constructors’ championship. Only Williams and Sauber are yet to secure a point.
Esteban Ocon is in talks with Williams after growing unhappy at Alpine
It is Ocon’s fifth year in Enstone in 2024 having joined Alpine in the team’s final year running as Renault in 2020. But it is tracking toward being his worst campaign with the squad yet. He has not finished any season lower in the drivers’ standings than his P12 in 2020 and in 2023.
So, with Alpine still trying to make the A524 truly competitive after starting this year with an overweight car that even also lacked downforce, Ocon is no longer happy in Enstone. That is according to F1-Insider, which claims that Ocon is now in talks to join a rival Formula 1 team.
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Ocon is speaking with Williams about potentially leaving Alpine to replace Logan Sargeant as the teammate of Alex Albon. But the Grove squad are talking to a clutch of drivers about the 23-year-old’s seat with team principal James Vowles admitting that Sargeant has to improve.
F1-Insider quotes Vowles stating that Sargeant is ‘in danger’ of losing his seat at Williams. It also reports that the Grove squad could axe the American at any point this season. The team does not have to wait until the end of this season when the Florida native’s contract expires.
Esteban Ocon now sees more potential in Grove than in Enstone
Vowles remains hopeful of helping Sargeant establish himself in Formula 1 during his second season at Williams. But the team are speaking with many potential replacements from Ocon to Mick Schumacher, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber and Mercedes protégé, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Ocon has spoken with Williams as he now sees greater potential to shine in F1 at Grove than with Alpine. The 2021 Hungarian GP winner believes the nine-time constructors’ champions and seven-time drivers’ title-winners are on the rise and is open to hoping aboard the train.
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Williams may still be yet to score a point in 2024, with Albon securing their best results with his P11s in the Saudi Arabian GP and the Australian GP, but Vowles oversaw their best term since 2017 last year. They were even the worst-ranked outfit in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Vowles took over Williams in 2023 and saw them achieve 28 points of which Albon recorded 27. Alpine finished last season one spot higher than Williams, with Ocon scoring 58 points to Gasly’s 62. But Alpine overhauled the design of their car for 2024 and took a big step back.
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