22/06/2025 14:30
Esteban Ocon has denied that seeing Alpine struggle makes him "smile", despite clashing with the outfit ahead of his departure last season. Ocon's relationship with Alpine/Renault had started strongly when he joined the French outfit in 2020; however, it crumbled as his exit approached last year. During his time with the Enstone-based team, Ocon became an F1 race winner in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix – his winning car is kept in the Frenchman's home. However, a shock Monaco collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly last year kickstarted speculation of an exit. In the end, it was announced in July 2024 that he would be switching to Haas for 2025. In order to drive for his new team in the post-season Abu Dhabi test, Ocon did not race for Alpine in last year's finale. This year, Alpine's form has varied, with a driver swap having taken place after six races between Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto. It sits last in the constructors' title whilst Haas are in sixth, with Ocon insisting it does not bring him joy to see his former outfit struggle. When asked by select media, including RacingNews365 , if Alpine's difficulties are making him smile, Ocon responded: "You never smile to see someone struggling. To me, it was very clear that I wanted to come here for a very long time. "I took my decision, it was clear that we were not aiming for the same things with the team, and that I needed a new challenge, because we were not going to go forward together. We didn't agree on so many things. "And, yeah, they've been quick in Bahrain and some of the tracks. They are going to be working on themselves as well. In one race, you can recover the deficit that you have. So even though they are last now, it doesn't mean that this is where they will finish. "So, we need to keep an eye on everyone and do the best we can on our side. But yeah, I definitely feel good here. As I said, Alpine will always remain a special place in my heart, having the winning car at home and what we've achieved together, but for sure, we will erase the late part of my career there."
