Esteban Ocon has ignited a crisis inside Alpine after colliding with teammate Pierre Gasly at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend. It should have been a positive race for the French team.
Gasly finished 10th to score his first point of the campaign, and Alpine’s second. But all the focus has been on the clash between the two drivers on the opening lap.
Ocon tried to get past at Portier, but ended up taking himself out of the race and damaging Gasly’s car. His left-rear launched over Gasly’s right-front, an indication of the limited space.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle said it was the kind of move you simply ‘do not’ attempt on your teammate. Team principal Bruno Famin was furious and warned Ocon that there would be consequences.
There’s been talk that Alpine could even go as far as benching the three-time podium-finisher for the next race in Canada. Famin was seen in conversation with reserve driver Jack Doohan after Sunday’s race.
This is one of six occasions where Ocon has made serious contact with the man on the opposite of the garage. It’s the second such clash with Gasly, with the first resulting in a double DNF at the 2023 Australian GP.
James Vowles rejects Esteban Ocon for 2025 Williams line-up
According to motorsport-total, Williams team principal James Vowles has ‘no interest’ in signing Ocon for the 2025 season. Vowles has recently tied Alex Albon down to a new contract and is assessing possible replacements for Logan Sargeant.
Ocon has been one of the names in contention. A recent report suggested that he saw more potential at Williams than he did at Alpine, while his manager Toto Wolff apparently wants to place him at Grove.
However, Vowles believes he’s ‘not a team player’ and as such he won’t be following through on any interest. The former Mercedes strategist, who’s been called ‘exceptional’ by Lewis Hamilton (Motorsport Week), won’t want an acrimonious driver relationship to get in the way of his long-term vision.
The good news for Ocon, though, is that he may escape a suspension for Montreal. Instead, he and Gasly could be subject to a ‘non-aggression pact’, just as he was with Sergio Perez at Racing Point.
What Ocon’s Monaco move means for his Mercedes chances
Brundle argued after the events of Monte Carlo that no top team would ‘entertain’ signing Ocon. While he may be a Grand Prix winner, he’s prone to an ‘irrational red mist’ that would put any front-running suitors off.
Ocon has been ‘waving the flag’ to Mercedes to indicate that he’s available for 2025. He’s out of contract at Alpine and the Silver Arrows are, of course, looking to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
In addition to his relationship with Wolff, the 27-year-old will know many of the Brackley staff well after a stint as reserve driver in 2019. However, the decision-makers at Mercedes are unlikely to be impressed by the manner in which he ignored his team’s instructions in Monaco.
There may still be vacancies at Haas and Sauber, who are soon to become Audi. But if they were planning to make Ocon an offer, they might be having second thoughts in light of this recent controversy.
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