The grid for the 2025 Formula 1 season is starting to take shape with seats being filled, but there are still several unknowns.
The latest seats to be filled were within the Red Bull stable after they confirmed both Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda would continue for their main and sister teams ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
There are officially still eight seats that remain unfilled for next season, with some seemingly waiting for official announcements. Mercedes seems keen on 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while F1 Oversteer understands Carlos Sainz is set to join Williams.
Alpine is realistically the only team to not have a continuity plan for next season after French driver Esteban Ocon announced he would be leaving the outfit at the end of the year. Journalist Rebecca Clancy questions why any team would take him on when speaking on the Inside The Piranha Club podcast.
Esteban Ocon’s future not a forgone conclusion
Clancy believes Ocon’s past conduct as a driver could pose an issue for any prospective team that wants to employ his services for the future.
“But why would a team take Ocon on? He’s so problematic,” said Clancy.
“The only way that Ocon is a team player is that he makes sure he takes out his teammate when he goes out as well.”
Esteban Ocon’s history with previous teammates
Ocon has a history of clashing with teammates, notably with Perez when he raced for Force India/Racing Point (now Aston Martin) and most recently Pierre Gasly.
The rivalry between the £90,000-a-week driver and Gasly stretches back to their days in karting and while the pair have insisted that it would not overspill into their performance on the track, they have often been seen fighting each other on the same piece of tarmac.
READ MORE: Alpine driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
This went over the limit in Monaco when they both hit each other on the opening lap, while Ocon was on the receiving end of team orders during the last round in Canada. Alpine is currently in the fight for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, and stands to lose millions of dollars in prize money compared to last season if they are unable to improve.
Jack Doohan is reported to be a front-runner for the vacancy, having impressed the team in private tests. With Ocon’s plans to leave, it could be they replace the Frenchman early if the rest of the season becomes too problematic for Alpine.
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