Esteban Ocon Faces Penalty Ahead Of Azerbaijan Grand Prix And Sprint

Esteban will be starting from the pits in both the sprint and the Grand Prix.

In a major setback for Alpine, it has been confirmed that Esteban Ocon will start from the pit lane in both the Sprint race and Sunday's Grand Prix this weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The team took the decision to remove the car from parc ferme conditions and make "suspension set-up" changes, but no further details have been provided.

Alpine's weekend has already been marred by issues, with Pierre Gasly's car suffering a hydraulics problem during Friday's practice session resulting in a car fire. Although Gasly was unharmed, the incident caused enough damage to force him out of the session with it being red-flagged in response. The team then had to deal with further disappointment when Gasly crashed during qualifying, resulting in his elimination from Q1.

Now with Ocon starting from the pit lane, the team faces a challenging weekend ahead at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Pierre potentially down on confidence but willing to prove himself, and Esteban facing a setback from the get-go. 

These setbacks highlight the unpredictable nature of the famous Baku circuit, and with this unconventional setup this weekend, both the sprint race and Grand Prix will be a spectacle for fans.