Esteban Ocon joined Renault/Alpine in 2020 and has been with the team since then.
On-board footage from the Monaco Grand Prix has shown Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly tangled more than once over the weekend, with another piece of contact before their collision at Portier.
Ocon’s race came to an abrupt halt when he landed heavily following a collision with Gasly. The incident occurred when their wheels tangled as they exited the right-hander leading into the tunnel at Monaco. However, onboard footage from Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin revealed that the two drivers had already made contact earlier in the lap.
On-board shows second Esteban Ocon-Pierre Gasly contact in Monaco
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
In the video captured by Stroll’s Aston Martin, Ocon can be seen attempting to overtake Gasly at the left-hander of Massenet. However, Ocon’s maneuver caused him to veer dangerously close to the barrier, causing small fragments of debris to scatter towards Stroll’s car.
Gasly successfully maintained his position during the subsequent corners until they eventually collided at Portier, resulting in Ocon’s retirement due to the damage caused by the impact with his teammate.
Though he apologised publicly for the incident after his retirement, Alpine team principal Bruno Famin promised “consequences” for his driver as a result, and Gasly was not best pleased either, who said he was “quite shocked” by the “unnecessary” move which went against pre-planned orders.
Gasly sur Ocon 20 secondes avant… pic.twitter.com/Ia160TwRW7
— Manore (@Manore_02) May 27, 2024
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After the race, he expressed his disappointment to the media, including PlanetF1.com. He mentioned that they had received clear instructions before the race regarding their strategy, which involved the trailing car assisting the one ahead. However, to his dismay, this plan was not executed.
We absolutely need to have a conversation about this, particularly during a critical season like this. We cannot afford to lose any points, as they could be crucial later on in the year. We must ensure that this doesn’t occur again.
Daniel Ricciardo stated that, from his vantage point, he observed the collision between the two Alpines even before it occurred, as he had been closely trailing them throughout the initial lap.
Ricciardo informed the media, including PlanetF1.com, that the incident was indeed close. He acknowledged that Lance was closer, giving him a slightly longer window to respond.
However, it seemed like the wheels made contact at least three times before that incident occurred, or possibly even including that one.
To be honest, it brought back memories of Baku 2018 when Max and I had a couple of instances where we made contact before the crash.
It was evident that the first lap was completed much faster. However, I could sense a rapid increase in tension and at times, the presence of teammates seemed to amplify it even more.
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