Just three races ago, Esteban Ocon stood triumphant on the podium of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Now, a first-lap retirement in Qatar may represent his final outing with the Alpine team.

Rumors circulated that the French outfit intended replacing Ocon with incoming Jack Doohan in Abu Dhabi, that confirmed on Monday morning.

Pierre Gasly pays tribute to Esteban Ocon

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Pierre Gasly — Ocon’s rival, teammate, and fellow Brazil GP podium sitter — weighed in.

Esteban Ocon is out at Alpine. After a dismal start to the Qatar Grand Prix resulted in a collision and a retirement, the Frenchman delivered what sounded like a farewell address to media in the press pen.

“I would like to thank the team for their hard work over this race and their hard work over the whole year,” Ocon told assembled media, including PlanetF1.com.

“When it’s going well, it’s good to stick together.

“But when it’s not going so well the engineers and the mechanics stick together and that’s the most important thing.”

Further, when Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes was questioned about the rumor of Ocon’s departure, he remained noncommittal, but he did acknowledge that Ocon leaving “suits everyone.”

“I guess you could say it’s good to get Jack [Doohan] in early,” he admitted. “I think you could say from Esteban’s side, it’s good to move on early.”

Further, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also suggested that “there was a deal to be had” with Ocon regarding his departure. Ocon remains a Mercedes junior driver, meaning Wolff would likely have intel on the situation.

That has since been confirmed, Alpine announcing Jack Doohan will be in the A524 in Abu Dhabi.

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After the Qatar GP — in which the Frenchman finished an impressive P5, thus bringing Alpine back to sixth overall in the World Constructors’ Championship — Gasly was asked to comment on Ocon’s potential departure.

“I think over the last two years we’ve worked really well with Esteban,” Gasly said to media, including PlanetF1.com.

Gasly and Ocon have known each other since childhood, and were once even able to call one another a friend. However, a lifetime spent in close competition with one another soon pushed the two men apart, resulting in hard feelings and a rivalry that extended into their Formula 1 years.

But since the two French drivers have joined the same French team, they’ve had to set their differences to the side and work together.

“It was very professional in our approach,” Gasly said of Ocon.

“We both have the same ambition, and from that point onwards, we knew that we has to push the team in the same direction.

“I think we’ve had similar feedback most of the time.”

Gasly went on to praise Ocon’s talent and speed, adding, “I don’t think this year was the easiest season as a team, from where we started. But nonetheless, I think the development that happened throughout the whole year is obviously thanks to the whole team but thanks to the way we’ve been able to push them together.”

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