Alpine driver Pierre Gasly.
With Esteban Ocon’s Alpine departure confirmed for the end of the season, all eyes have turned to his teammate Pierre Gasly regarding the future of the second Frenchman on the team. During the drivers’ press conference ahead of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, Gasly addressed his future with some carefully chosen words.
Alpine has only made one thing clear during this early-onset silly season: Esteban Ocon is out. His teammate Pierre Gasly is also reaching the end of his contract, but the driver has addressed concerns about his future by saying: “At the minute it’s quite clear the position I’m in. For my future at the moment, I have nothing really to announce. You guys will know in due time.”
Gasly and Ocon: Uncomfortable Alpine teammates
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who had a longstanding karting feud from their childhood, reluctantly teamed up at Alpine when Gasly joined the French team for the 2023 season. Since then, they have been engaged in multiple on-track clashes, with their most recent collision occurring during the Monaco Grand Prix.
During the initial lap of the race, Ocon made a daring move by trying to overtake Ocon from the inside of the Portier corner. Unfortunately, the outcome was catastrophic as their cars collided, causing Ocon to soar over Gasly’s vehicle.
Gasly was able to keep going and secure a 10th place finish, earning his first point of 2024. Unfortunately, Ocon didn’t have the same luck. The damage he suffered was too severe, leading him to retire from the race. On top of that, he also received a 10-second penalty.
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During the pre-race press conference, Gasly was asked about his relationship with his teammate and took his time carefully selecting his words.
“He said that the story between Esteban and himself is quite lengthy. Over the past year and a half, they have been able to work and collaborate in a highly professional manner. This is worth highlighting because it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, considering both of them being highly competitive drivers,” he explained.
“Taking into account our history, I believe it has been a positive experience.”
Gasly effortlessly dismissed inquiries regarding his future, just like he did with questions about Ocon. When questioned about the timing of an announcement, Gasly responded, “I don’t have a specific deadline, and I believe the current market is quite flexible.”
At present, I prefer not to provide excessive details as everyone is already familiar with the available opportunities. I believe that our discussions are progressing positively, and that’s all I can say for now.
Nevertheless, Gasly acknowledged that Alpine remains at a disadvantage leading up to the Canadian Grand Prix.
Gasly said that they are currently focusing on maximizing what they have, but they are also trying to rethink their approach to these concepts.
“We will give it our utmost effort. We acknowledge that we are striving for one point, positioned right at the bottom of the top 10, but we hope to replicate our performance in Monaco.”
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