Esteban Ocon is ready to face down from his Alpine Formulation 1 seat forward of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Jack Doohan anticipated to make his debut on the 2024 finale, Motorsport.com understands.
The French driver retired on the primary lap of the Qatar race after turning into embroiled in a conflict with Franco Colapinto and Nico Hulkenberg, and that is understood to be his last race for the Enstone outfit earlier than becoming a member of Haas for 2025.
Ocon joined the staff in 2020 whereas it was referred to as Renault, and secured his first and solely grand prix win for the Franco-British staff on the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
It’s understood that Alpine has thought of it a “risk” that Ocon will likely be relieved of service for the Abu Dhabi race, because the staff had requested him to boost his efficiency relative to Gasly; a transparent gulf between the 2 in tempo had emerged throughout the Las Vegas weekend, through which Gasly clinched third on the grid.
Gasly asserted his present dominance in Qatar, and regardless of variations in entrance wing specification as Gasly had the brand new shorter nostril, there was no obvious distinction in specification between automobiles.
As such, the staff has been weighing up whether or not to offer Doohan his debut a race early in preparation for 2025, whereas Ocon will nonetheless be in Abu Dhabi to affix Haas for the end-of-season take a look at at Yas Marina.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Group, attends the drivers parade
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photos
That is the conclusion to a season that has turn out to be more and more tempestuous between Ocon and Alpine, which finally led to the 2 slicing ties for subsequent season.
His place was briefly touted as being underneath menace on the staff after a contentious conflict with team-mate Gasly in Monaco, the place he tried to power his well beyond at Portier and brought about harm to each automobiles.
These fears have been assuaged in time for Canada however, in the meantime, it was introduced that Ocon could be departing Alpine for Haas in 2025.
Underneath the advisorial guise of Flavio Briatore, Alpine tried to mount a late bid to courtroom Carlos Sainz for 2025, however was finally beated to the punch by Williams. The staff thus introduced that it might promote reserve driver Jack Doohan to the seat alongside Gasly.
Though Ocon led Alpine’s important 2-3 end in a moist Brazil race, he had nonetheless been a number of factors shy of Gasly over the season – and finally certified twentieth in Qatar.
Further reporting by Alex Kalinauckas and Jonathan Noble
Images from Qatar GP Race
On this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
Formulation 1
Esteban Ocon
Alpine
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