Alpine F1 may drop Ocon for Abu Dhabi, favoring Doohan. Meanwhile, Briatore’s sights seem set on rising star Colapinto.
Esteban Ocon finds himself at the center of a rumor circulating in the Losail paddock, which gained traction immediately after the race. Alpine F1 is reportedly set to sideline the French driver and replace him with Jack Doohan for the season’s final race. Following his first-turn retirement, Ocon had little to say about his race.
“A short race for us, unfortunately. A racing incident between the three of us; we were on the outside, and we all got sandwiched on one side of the track, unfortunately, and it caused more damage than it should have,” Ocon told Canal+ before spontaneously thanking his team.
“I’d like to thank the mechanics and engineers for all their efforts, not just for this race but throughout the year, especially. It’s an important message for me because, in difficult times, we kept pushing, and I wanted to express my gratitude for that.”
These unexpected thanks, carrying a faint sense of farewell, were followed by questions about his preparation for Abu Dhabi, to which Ocon seemed noncommittal: “We’ll see… I imagine in the same way.”
He reportedly then sought refuge with Mercedes, alongside his managers Gwen Lagrue and Toto Wolff.
Team principal Oliver Oakes was questioned by Canal+ after the race and expressed surprise: “I’ve been asked this several times; you probably know something I don’t. I just came down from the pit wall. For now, no.”
However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Flavio Briatore were working behind the scenes to place Jack Doohan, a driver he manages, in the car for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Could this be preparation for the Australian’s 2025 season?
Not so fast. Rumors have circulated for weeks that Briatore is eyeing Franco Colapinto. He might see this as an opportunity for a trial run with Doohan and, if it doesn’t deliver, replace him with Colapinto for 2025.
Adding intrigue, Briatore reportedly had a one-on-one meeting with the Argentine driver over the weekend. Such a scenario would be a significant blow to Ocon after five years at Enstone—and to Doohan if he misses his F1 debut. But with Flavio Briatore, would anyone be surprised?
One final twist: Alpine F1 appears to have leveraged Ocon’s post-season test with Haas F1. Initially agreeing to release him after Abu Dhabi for testing with his new team, Briatore and Oakes reportedly gave Ocon an ultimatum—either finish the season or do the test.
Ocon’s frustration tonight is understandable.
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