The Alpine F1 Team driver, Esteban Ocon, faced a possible suspension after his collision with teammate Pierre Gasly during the Monaco Grand Prix, according to a report from L’Équipe.
Ocon received harsh criticism from his own team in Monte Carlo after his ambitious move on Gasly during the first lap almost ended both drivers’ race.
While the two Alpine drivers were racing towards the end of the points, Ocon tried to overtake Gasly on the inside at Portier, resulting in a collision as they exited the corner.
The contact caused a puncture in Gasly’s right front tire, launching Ocon’s car into the air and causing terminal damage upon hitting the ground.
Fortunately for Gasly, a red flag was waved to clear an incident involving Sergio Perez and the Haas cars, allowing him to restart the race in 10th position.
Despite scoring points and ending his streak of poor performances, Gasly was furious with Ocon’s risky maneuver, which jeopardized both drivers’ race.
Gasly emphasized that Ocon had disregarded a previous team agreement, while Alpine boss Bruno Famin expressed his anger on French television, stating that measures would be taken.
Famin’s comments were interpreted by some as a possible suspension for Ocon, potentially leaving him out of an entire race weekend.
According to L’Équipe, Famin intended to implement such a measure and replace Ocon with reserve driver Jack Doohan at the Canadian Grand Prix.
However, the report suggests that this decision would have required approval from the manufacturer’s lawyers to avoid legal consequences.
Alpine supposedly sought to avoid a situation similar to the one that arose when they tried to prevent Oscar Piastri from joining McLaren in mid-2022.
Unfortunately, the Contract Recognition Board ruled in favor of Piastri, deeming the agreement between him and the Enstone-based team invalid.
In response to this setback, Alpine hired lawyer Caroline McGrory to prevent future contractual loopholes within the team.
L’Équipe states that Alpine’s revised legal team advised the bosses to reconsider their plans, as there was a risk that Ocon could have shown up in Montreal with a bailiff.
The French publication further added that Ocon “could have had his right to work violated and could have demanded the assertion of his rights to access his racing car.”
As a result, Ocon will travel to Canada this weekend to compete as usual, although he will have to serve the penalty imposed on him by the stewards in Monaco, resulting in a five-place grid drop.
With the Anglo-French team still struggling to unlock the competitiveness of their 2024 package, Ocon’s opportunity to score more than his solitary point this season will be even more challenging.
The driver, who is backed by Mercedes, will also have to face numerous questions about his future after Alpine announced that he will leave his position in 2025.
Ocon is unlikely to be considered as a temporary replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season, despite his connections to the team.
Instead, the former Manor and Force India driver has reportedly discussed with Haas about taking over either Nico Hulkenberg or Kevin Magnussen’s seat, both set to join Sauber.
However, Ocon could also potentially join Hulkenberg if Carlos Sainz, the first choice for the Hinwil-based team, decides to turn down the opportunity to join Audi and instead move to Williams.
Ocon is also believed to be a candidate to join Alex Albon at the British team, with Logan Sargeant likely to lose his spot by the end of 2024.
© 2024
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