Alpine make Esteban Ocon decision after Canadian GP outburst in wake of exit

Bruno Famin has dismissed the idea that Alpine would prioritise Pierre Gasly over Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the season after the latter vented his frustrations at the Canadian Grand Prix.

After the pair clashed on track at the Monaco Grand Prix, it was announced that Ocon would be leaving the Enstone-based outfit at the end of the season, bringing a close to a five-year stay. Gasly’s future has not been announced, but reports suggest that he is in line for a multi-year contract extension.

While the decision about Ocon’s future has already been made, this didn’t prevent an on-track outburst in Montreal. When the two Alpine cars crossed the line to take the chequered flag, they had secured a first double-points finish of the season. This should have been a positive thing, but the atmosphere in the camp was once again a sour one.

During the closing stages, Ocon was told to let Gasly pass in an effort to attack VCARB driver Daniel Ricciardo up ahead. He obliged, but when he asked for the two cars to be swapped back around before the chequered flag, his request was denied, leaving the 27-year-old seething in the cockpit.

Dressing down his weekend, he fumed: “Not the happiest, to be honest. Obviously, we started last and got into the points with both cars, which is amazing for the team. But I did my part of the job, being a team player – being a nice guy. Too nice, I am. We had to let Pierre go at the end, which I’ve done.

“I have always followed the instructions I was given. But for no reason, really. We were not going to catch Daniel – that was the reason for the call. And obviously, I’m losing a point there. Being too nice is not the right attitude to have in Formula One. But I showed that I’m a team player, and that’s what matters.”

Despite Ocon’s outburst, team principal Famin remains adamant that there is no favouritism going on at Enstone. “We will not put aside Esteban at all,” he told Autosport. “He will have exactly the same condition as Pierre.

“They are on the same level, same status. We know they are very close in terms of the performance, and it won't be good to do something different for anybody. Again, it's team interest: Alpine interest first.”