Tensions Rise Between Ocon and Gasly at Alpine
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly Made Contact and Almost Ended With Both Alpines in the Barrier
Cracks in Alpine’s Team
The latest season of Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” shed light on the strained relationship between Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. This tension was on full display during the Monaco Grand Prix, where an on-track incident further highlighted the discord between the two. Despite the clash, Gasly managed to secure a point for Alpine, but the team remained at the bottom of the constructors’ standings.
Pierre Gasly reacted to his teammate Esteban Ocon driving into him 👀 pic.twitter.com/5Sw5hzRChu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 26, 2024
Monaco GP: A Collision Course
During the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly made contact at the exit of Portier. Ocon’s attempt to overtake his teammate went against the team’s pre-race strategy according to F1 rumors, as Gasly had priority on track for starting ahead. The collision resulted in Ocon’s retirement from the race, while Gasly managed to continue and score his first point of the 2024 F1 schedule.
TEAM STANDINGS AFTER 8 ROUNDS 📊
Ferrari move to within striking distance of Red Bull #F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/h95DcLXdPb
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 26, 2024
Gasly expressed his disappointment, stating, “I was quite shocked, and you know, it was very unnecessary. For the team, you know, you should never have such a situation, especially between teammates.” He emphasized that the team had clear instructions for the race, which were not followed, leading to a loss of potential points.
Consequences and Team Dynamics
Alpine team principal Bruno Famin was displeased with the incident and indicated to F1 news outlets that there would be “consequences” for Ocon. Following the race, Ocon admitted responsibility for the contact on social media, hoping to move past the incident in time for the next F1 race in Canada.
Today’s incident was my fault, the gap was too small in the end and I apologise to the team on this one. Hoping for a deserved points-finish for the team today.
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) May 26, 2024
Gasly, while frustrated, acknowledged Ocon’s admission of fault. “I mean, on that side, yes,” he said when asked if this makes it easier for the team to move forward. “On the other side, we’re still seeing a car that is damaged, that didn’t finish and potentially could be in the points. We came a couple of centimeters from having both cars in the wall.”
Alpine’s Struggles in the Constructors’ Standings
Alpine’s current performance in the constructors’ standings is far from ideal. The team is tied with Williams Racing, both with only 2 points, and just ahead of Kick Sauber, which has yet to score any points this season. This poor standing highlights the need for the team to maximize every opportunity for points, making internal conflicts like the one in Monaco particularly detrimental.
Another point added to our tally 📈
Hear from Pierre, Esteban and Bruno Famin on today’s #MonacoGP 👇
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) May 26, 2024
Gasly’s single point at Monaco was a small but crucial contribution. However, the team cannot afford to lose out on points due to avoidable incidents between teammates. As Gasly noted, “We can’t afford, especially in a season like this, to have points dropped. All might be crucial at the end of the year, and we’ve just got to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
