Alpine are set to lose at least one of their drivers for the 2025 season. It seems inevitable that Esteban Ocon will leave the team after the events of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Ocon infuriated team principal Bruno Famin with an attempted overtake on teammate Pierre Gasly at Portier on the first lap of the race. The two drivers made significant contact, with Ocon sustaining terminal damage and Gasly needing repairs too.
After the race, Famin warned that there would be consequences for the incident. There have even been suggestions that he could be benched for the next race in Canada.
More recent reports have stated that Ocon will escape that punishment, with the team instead instituting a ‘non-aggression pact’ between their drivers. But whatever happens, it’s hard to see the relationship surviving beyond the end of the year.
Even before the race, the 27-year-old had been looking for a way out. He apparently saw more potential at Williams, for instance, though James Vowles has ‘no interest’ in signing him given his conduct.
Ocon has also been ranked as one of the top contenders for an Audi drive, while one journalist has claimed that confirmation of a move to Haas is imminent. Meanwhile, Gasly has also been ‘exploring his options’ despite only joining the team at the start of last year.
Jack Doohan optimistic about securing Alpine seat
One of the main contenders to replace either Ocon or Gasly is reserve driver Jack Doohan. Doohan was previously part of the Red Bull driver academy between 2017 and 2021 before leaving to join Alpine.
He was on their books for both of his full seasons in Formula 2, during which he won six races, took five pole positions and scored 11 podiums. In 2023, he finished third in the standings behind Theo Pourchaire and Frederik Vesti.
Alpine persuaded Doohan not to race in any other series this year and instead fully devote himself to his reserve duties. At the beginning of this month, he carried out a test for the team at Zandvoort, the home of the Dutch Grand Prix.
And while there, he spoke to Racing News 365 about his ambitions for the future. He’s clear on his desire to race full-time for Famin’s squad next year and feels he’s doing enough to merit the call-up.
“I just want to make sure I have a seat next year,” he said. “I want to be there at Alpine. I have objectives to achieve outside the car, in the car, whether in the simulator or on the track, but also here during testing.
“I have to make sure I get the most out of it and tick all the boxes. I feel like I’m doing that now. With the position I’m in now and what I’ve done, I think I have a good chance of getting a seat next year.”
What Esteban Ocon has said about Jack Doohan
Doohan was seen in conversation with Famin in the Monaco paddock amid the fallout from the Ocon/Gasly incident. Some naturally wondered if their talks pointed towards a possible debut for the Australian in Montreal.
Even if he doesn’t get that opportunity, we can expect to see him in a couple of FP1 sessions before the year is out. Teams are obliged to run a young driver on at least two Fridays, and Doohan has driven in both Mexico and Abu Dhabi in the last two seasons.
Ocon has said that Doohan is a ‘great asset’ behind the scenes, and feels he ‘definitely’ deserves an opportunity in F1. He could inadvertently be the man to give it to him.
Journalist Tom Clarkson has revealed that the 21-year-old was in the simulator for the team until the early hours of Saturday morning before flying back to Monaco. That level of commitment has ‘impressed’ key figures at Enstone, standing him in good stead for 2025.
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