Esteban Ocon opens up about Alpine’s underperformance, expressing disappointment while choosing to withhold detailed explanations about the team’s decline.
Esteban Ocon emphasizes that he doesn’t want to make “headlines” by sharing his true opinion on Alpine’s decline in Formula 1.
However, the French driver, who will be joining the small American team Haas F1 in 2025, admits that the way his career is ending with Renault’s factory team, along with the end of the brand’s F1 engine program, is “sad.”
The 28-year-old driver’s only Grand Prix win came with Alpine in 2021, but since then, both his relationship with the team and its performance have steadily declined.
“There are many reasons for this decline,” Ocon says during this autumn break.
When asked to elaborate, he responded: “I have some explanations, but I’d rather keep them to myself. I don’t want to make headlines here.”
Ocon frustrated the team management with his collision with teammate Pierre Gasly in Monaco, but he insists that this is not the only reason for his departure at the end of the year.
“It was already clear to me before that. We had already been in discussions with other teams. It even started during the 2023 season.”
“Of course, you’re always open to everything, but for me, it was relatively clear that I was looking for a new challenge.”
Like Carlos Sainz, Audi would have been an option for Ocon in 2025, but the parties did not shake hands.
“I don’t want to go into detail about that,” Ocon insists.
“We spoke to several teams. In the end, what convinced me most was that Ayao (Komatsu) is leading the team. He’s an experienced race engineer who knows what he’s talking about.”
“Haas currently employs 300 people, but they perform better than teams with 1,500. And there are major investments coming that will impact performance. The team has clear objectives, and I want to be part of that.”
“I’ve already visited the factory and seen the passion with which everyone works. That feeling is something I’ve missed.”
Some might think Ocon has ruined his career at Renault and Alpine—especially given that he beat Max Verstappen for the F3 title in 2014.
“You shouldn’t lose hope. Drivers like Jenson (Button) show that an opportunity can suddenly come if you work hard and keep improving.”
“Last year, I was battling McLaren on equal terms in many races, and now they’re fighting for the championship. Anything can happen.”
Unfortunately for Ocon, he struggles to shake off a reputation in the paddock of being selfish, often unfriendly, and difficult to manage—particularly with his teammates.
“I think people have the wrong image of me,” he responds.
“After one race, I spoke to a young journalist for five minutes, and afterward, he said to me, ‘You know, Esteban, I didn’t really like you before, but after our conversation, I really do.’ I found that very interesting.”
“People can have an image of you that doesn’t match the reality at all.”
As for his frequent clashes with teammates, Ocon insists that no team he’s raced for “has lost a place in the championship because of it.”
But this year at Alpine, he openly admits that dealing with the decline “hasn’t been fun.”
“When I signed in 2020, I had high expectations. There were also big promises. But those goals haven’t been realized in five years. It’s not easy for a driver to invest so much and suddenly find themselves at the back of the grid.”
And when he realized the 2024 car would be slow, Ocon says he “made the decision to look elsewhere early.”
“It’s really sad to see where we are now. Alpine is from Normandy, like me. I’ve always been proud to wear the logo. It’s really sad to see where we are now. The brand deserves better.”
“We’re giving everything, but it’s not enough. Five years with one team is a long time in Formula 1. We’ve had our good and bad moments. It was simply time to try something new.”
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Ocon Reflects on Alpine Decline, Eyes New Challenge Ocon Reflects on Alpine Decline, Eyes New Challenge
