Alpine F1 Ocon Faces Potential Suspension

Will Alpine F1 Suspend Ocon for a Race?

27/05/2024

Alpine F1 may suspend Esteban Ocon after a Monaco incident, where Pierre Gasly highlighted the need for his teammate to “change” following their collision.

Tensions have flared once again among Alpine F1 drivers, with the management considering action following the collision between Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in Monaco yesterday.

During the race, Bruno Famin called for “decisive action,” pointing the blame squarely at Ocon. Later in the evening, he took a more measured tone, suggesting that the issue would be resolved privately to protect the team’s interests.

Ocon has publicly apologized, both in a statement and on social media, but according to Gasly, the damage is done.

“I was quite shocked. It was really unnecessary. And for the team, we should never be in such a situation, especially between teammates. So, I’m just sad, disappointed by the situation.”

“We have clear instructions before the race on what to do, and regardless of who qualifies ahead, the following car was supposed to support with strategy throughout the race, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”

“We absolutely need to talk because we can’t afford this, especially in a season like this. Those two points could be crucial at the end of the year. We just need to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

When asked if Ocon was looking out for his own interests, considering both drivers are at the end of their contracts this season, Gasly dismissed the notion.

“I don’t want to comment on that. As a professional driver, you know what to do and what not to do, especially with your teammate.”

“He’s a good driver, a very good driver, he knows what he’s doing. He just needs to change his attitude.”

“At that moment, we were 9th and 10th (Sainz had a puncture), so there was absolutely no reason to risk taking out both cars.”

“We came within inches of having both cars in the wall.”

The consequences of this incident for Esteban Ocon remain to be seen. Some speculate that he might face a disciplinary suspension for one race. Bruno Famin spoke with Jack Doohan after the race, and it’s likely that Mick Schumacher (who was with Mercedes F1 this weekend) could also be considered if Alpine F1 decides to take action.

Famin hinted to Canal+ that “we’re going to make a tough decision, and we’ll make it quickly.”

The director is also aware that his driver has aspirations to move elsewhere, and a sanction could exacerbate tensions, making the end of the season very difficult for Alpine F1.

If Ocon misses the Canadian GP, his five-place grid penalty would be carried over to the Spanish GP.

Alpine F1: Ocon Faces Potential Suspension. Alpine F1: Ocon Faces Potential Suspension

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