The team boss at Alpine is Bruno Famin.
Esteban Ocon’s first-lap lunge on Pierre Gasly has infuriated Alpine boss Bruno Famin, to the point of threatening consequences.
On the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix, Ocon made a daring move on Gasly by diving up the inside at Portier. Unfortunately, this aggressive maneuver led to a significant collision, causing Ocon’s car to be thrown into the air and ultimately resulting in his elimination from the race.
Esteban Ocon eliminated from Monaco Grand Prix
Starting from 11th on the grid, the French driver closely followed Gasly until he spotted a narrow opening at the right-hand Portier corner. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly maneuvered his car past the sister Alpine car.
Gasly found himself squeezed on the outside while navigating the corner, resulting in Ocon’s left-rear tyre colliding with his right front. This collision propelled Gasly’s car into the air, causing it to land forcefully and sustain suspension damage. Unfortunately, despite the subsequent display of red flags due to the frightening accident involving Sergio Perez and the two Haas drivers, Gasly was already forced out of the race.
After being investigated by the FIA stewards, Ocon was held responsible for the incident and received a 10-second time penalty. However, since he was forced to retire from the race, his penalty was modified to a five-place grid drop for the Canadian Grand Prix.
With one Alpine out as a result of the incident, Alpine boss Bruno Famin gave a terse interview to French TV channel Canal+ in which he hinted there could be consequences for Ocon’s brashness.
He expressed his sadness upon witnessing such an incident to Canal+.
Esteban’s attack was completely unexpected and not at all what we wanted to witness.
“We witnessed precisely what we hoped not to encounter and we are prepared to face the repercussions. We will make a difficult choice.”
“If we were aiming to secure a podium position by the end of the race, it wouldn’t hurt to try and make a move. However, it was not the right moment to do so at Le Portier on the first lap, as it left no space for his teammate.”
Ocon took to Twitter to express remorse for the incident, acknowledging, “I take full responsibility for today’s incident. I admit the gap was insufficient in the final moments, and I offer my apologies to the team. I am hopeful that the team will achieve a well-deserved points finish today.”
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After his retirement, Ocon spoke to various media outlets, including PlanetF1.com, and reassured them that his back was fine despite the tough landing. He also expressed regret for the incident.
“He mentioned that we thoroughly assess everything and strive to improve in our future endeavors.”
Ocon admitted that his gearbox had suffered extensive damage, indicating that he would probably be unable to continue racing even if he had made it back to the pits during the red flag. He further revealed that he had not yet discussed the incident with Famin, but acknowledged that he had made a miscalculated move while attempting to overtake his teammate.
“We have to exercise caution, while simultaneously giving our absolute best, going above and beyond to secure a place in the top 10, both for myself and Pierre. As we witnessed yesterday, we pushed ourselves to the extreme during qualifying, and it’s natural to make mistakes in such intense situations. That’s the reality of it.”
Ocon’s tenure with Alpine concludes after the 2024 F1 season. Recently, the French driver emphasized his affiliation with Mercedes, as rumors circulate about his potential move to the available seat at the Mercedes team.
Australian driver Jack Doohan serves as Alpine’s reserve driver, while the team also includes Mick Schumacher in its lineup. Despite holding a valid F1 super licence, the German driver has yet to secure a permanent F1 seat but remains a potential candidate.
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