Red Bull tease Alpine over Esteban Ocon departure with brutal message to rival
Red Bull have added insult to injury for Alpine after the struggling team agreed to part ways with Esteban Ocon.
Red Bull have teased Alpine over the departure of Esteban Ocon, suggesting that the Enstone-based outfit’s announcement caused ‘speculation’ over a separate teaser that the reigning champions’ social team put out. Their statement parodied Oscar Piastri’s iconic tweet from 2022.
The Australian, now a three-time podium sitter and F1 sprint race winner, was part of the Alpine driver academy. However, despite winning the Formula Two championship in emphatic style, Piastri was not rewarded with a seat on the grid and was instead forced to wait on the sidelines as his employers stuck with Ocon and team-mate Fernando Alonso.
After working in the garage throughout the 2022 campaign, Alpine opted to call the Aussie up to their F1 line-up after watching Alonso jump ship for Aston Martin. The French constructor announced the deal after the Spaniard’s move was confirmed, but unbeknown to them, Piastri had been working on a move to McLaren in the background.
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Responding to the announcement tweet on X, formerly Twitter, Piastri wrote: “I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
The tweet immediately gained legendary status, and Piastri was soon announced as a McLaren driver, rubbing salt in Alpine’s wounds. Now, in the wake of Ocon’s departure, things have gone full circle and Red Bull have taken their chance to humiliate the struggling team.
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Earlier in the day, Red Bull teased their own major announcement, posting a “stay tuned” message to their fans. Some speculated that this could be confirmation of a new contract for Sergio Perez, who is expected to re-sign on a one-year contract for the 2025 campaign. However, the Alpine news led some to question whether Ocon was joining the reigning champions.
In response, Red Bull’s social media team channelled their inner Piastri and posted on Threads: “We understand that, without our agreeement, Alpine F1 have released a statement regarding Esteban Ocon, causing wild speculation over our 'Stay tuned' announcement"
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For Ocon, the situation is no laughing matter. The Frenchman now faces a fight to maintain his status as an F1 driver, but with no offers on the table, as things stand, his future remains up in the air. Haas are currently in negotiations with the 27-year-old, but he will need to prove his pedigree as a team player to impress team principal Ayao Komatsu.
