Esteban Ocon spent five seasons with Alpine and delivered their only Grand Prix win since rebranding from Renault, before moving to Haas in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The 28-year-old initially arrived in Enstone for what would be the team’s final season named Renault in 2020. It marked a return to the field for Ocon, as well, after spending 2019 on the sidelines as Mercedes’ reserve driver. His maiden and to date sole win also followed in 2021.
After his debut podium at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Ocon won Alpine the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. He would stand on four rostrums for the Enstone crew, including Alpine’s double podium in the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix which shot them up last year’s constructors’ table.
Yet his second-place finish in Brazil came after Alpine had already decided to release Ocon at the lapse of his contract and he also signed for Haas to replace Kevin Magnussen. Alpine elected to release him after Ocon crashed with Pierre Gasly in the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix.
Oliver Oakes thinks the atmosphere at Alpine ‘wasn’t the best’ during Esteban Ocon’s stay
Alpine informed Ocon in June that he would not get a new contract whilst Bruno Famin was still their team principal. It marked one of many changes to unfold in Enstone last year, with Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo also hiring Oliver Oakes to replace Famin as Alpine’s boss.
READ MORE: Haas driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
| Category | Esteban Ocon | Pierre Gasly |
| 2024 points | 23 | 36 (42*) |
| Grand Prix results | 13 | 10 |
| Grand Prix qualifying | 13 | 10 |
| Grand Prix wins | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix poles | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix podiums | 1 | 1 |
| Best finish | 2nd | 3rd |
| Retirements | 2 | 3 |
| Did not start | 0 | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 1 | 0 |
| Grand Prix points finishes | 5 | 7 (8*) |
| Sprint results | 2 | 4 |
| Sprint Qualifying | 2 | 4 |
| Sprint wins | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint poles | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint podiums | 0 | 0 |
Oakes has now suggested that the atmosphere in Enstone following his arrival at Alpine was ‘not the best’ with the history between Ocon and Gasly playing a part in their problems. The Frenchmen were close as kids, but a karting incident destroyed Ocon and Gasly’s friendship.
“It was in a tricky place,” Oakes told RacingNews365. “There was a lot of turnover in people. It probably wasn’t the best atmosphere [and] the two drivers, there was some history there.
“From my side, all of that is in the past. I don’t want to use the words ‘cleaned up’ because that makes it sound too easy. We just need to focus on ourselves and go racing. One thing we did since the summer break last year is just get back to the basics.”
Esteban Ocon will not like Oliver Oakes hinting his exit helped improve the mood at Alpine
Ocon will not like Alpine team principal Oakes hinting that his exit and move to Haas has had a part to play in the atmosphere at Enstone improving. Especially after he was booted out of the squad before the 2024 F1 season was over, with Ocon dropped for the Abu Dhabi finale.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine F1 team principal Oliver Oakes? Everything to know
His departure could even have come sooner, as well, as Alpine wanted to replace Ocon with Jack Doohan before the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It adds to a picture that the Frenchman was a part of the problem Oakes thinks is now ‘in the past’ with Ocon no longer with Alpine.
Ocon could feel he is having the last laugh, though, with Doohan one of four drivers still yet to score a point this season. Gasly has also only scored six points following the 29-year-old’s P7 finish last week at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Ocon’s P8 put him on 14 for the season.
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