Esteban Ocon, the driver for Alpine, will be departing from the team following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Helmut Marko believes Alpine face a “problem” in the fact Esteban Ocon’s collision with Pierre Gasly was not the first, making a solution “very difficult” from their perspective.
During the Monaco Grand Prix’s opening lap, the two Alpine drivers accidentally collided at Portier, causing Ocon to soar into the air. Apologetic, Ocon expressed regret after the race, while Gasly managed to continue and secure his first point of the season. It is worth noting that this incident is not the initial instance of tension between the two teammates.
Helmut Marko: Alpine face ‘very difficult’ call with Esteban Ocon crash
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
Alpine team principal Bruno Famin threatened “consequences” for Ocon in the aftermath of the two team-mates making contact, breaking the golden rule among teams of never colliding with the sister car.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko cited previous instances at his team when similar conflicts arose and explained the strategies employed to address them. However, the concern with Alpine’s situation is that this is not the first occurrence involving the same two drivers, as Ocon and Gasly clashed in Australia last season.
“We’ve had this twice at Red Bull Racing with team-mates getting in each other’s way, once in 2018 with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen in Baku, and once with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel in 2010 in Turkey,” Marko wrote in a column for Speedweek when discussing Ocon’s collision with Gasly.
We called in both drivers to the company in both instances and had an open discussion with them, clearly conveying that collisions with team-mates are not permissible.
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Following the conclusion of the season, Ricciardo departed from our team. Subsequently, there were no further occurrences of such incidents involving Webber. It was acknowledged and accepted by all parties involved that this behavior was unacceptable.
Implementing measures in such a case is challenging as it requires the ability to demonstrate clear intent, which is not currently feasible.
Subsequently, the driver admits to misjudging the accident, thus indicating the absence of any deliberate intention.
Nevertheless, the issue with Alpine is that it was not a unique occurrence, and I believe this contributes to the challenge.
Gasly, the former Red Bull driver, expressed his belief that Ocon should modify his driving approach after the collision. Gasly stated that Ocon had disregarded team instructions, which stated that the car qualifying behind would act as the rear gunner for the entirety of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Ocon attempted to forcefully pass through but was unsuccessful, as the narrow track of Monte Carlo proved unsuitable for such a maneuver at the start of the race.
Gasly expressed his surprise and deemed the incident completely unnecessary when speaking to the media, including PlanetF1.com.
It’s really unfortunate to have a situation like this within the team, especially between teammates. It’s just really sad.
The situation was quite disappointing, particularly because we were given clear instructions prior to the race. It was understood that the trailing car would assist throughout the race with the strategy, regardless of who qualified ahead. Regrettably, this did not occur.
We absolutely need to have a conversation about this, particularly during this crucial season. We cannot afford to lose any points, as they might become crucial towards the end of the year. We must ensure that this does not happen again.
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