F1 News: F1 Insider Reveals Esteban Ocon Became A 'Headache' For Alpine To Handle - 'Don’t Want Him Around’

Saajan Jogia | Aug 2, 2024

May 3, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alpine driver Esteban Ocon (31) talks with the media after F1 Sprint Qualifying at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner revealed that Alpine's relationship with driver Esteban Ocon has reportedly reached a new low. Steiner explained that the French driver has become such a "headache" for the team that it is eager to part ways with him.

In addition, as reported by PlanetF1.com, Sky Sports F1 lead commentator David Croft suggested there was tension between Ocon and Alpine, which extended to his relationship with teammate Pierre Gasly. This tension reached a boiling point when the two collided in Monaco, leaving then-team boss Bruno Famin enraged.

The Frenchman is set to depart Alpine after the 2024 season, having recently signed a contract extension with Haas for 2025. The sole American team on the grid will feature an entirely new lineup next season, with Ocon joining forces with Ferrari junior driver Oliver Bearman. This fresh driver pairing aims to bring new energy and competitiveness to Haas.

Steiner believes that Ocon's relationship with the Enstone outfit reached a point where the team just wanted to get rid of him. Revealing on the The Red Flags Podcast, he said:

“I think it turned into such a headache that they said, ‘it’s better a painful end than never-ending pain.

“‘We’ll deal with the consequences of him leaving, but we don’t want him around’. I think it ended up like this. It’s just too much.

“And when you’re in a team and you have got always the same problem that you cannot fix it after years, it’s like, ‘we need to do something different here’, otherwise you just kick the can down the road. It will come back.”

Despite Ocon being the strongest option Alpine could have, Steiner noted that finding an equally potent replacement would be a challenging task for the team. He added:

“And not having a replacement as good as him, that is more important.

“If you’ve got two guys that can replace him that is one [thing], but every option out there now, I don’t think there is anybody at the level of him.”

The inside picture of Alpine comes amid rumors that junior driver Jack Doohan might secure a seat with the Renault-owned outfit for next season. Doohan joined the Alpine Young Driver Program in 2022 after transitioning from Red Bull's junior team.

This week, he has been testing the current 2024 A524 F1 car at Spa-Francorchamps for a Pirelli tire test. If Alpine confirms his appointment, the 21-year-old will become the second rookie on the F1 grid next year, alongside Bearman.