Esteban Ocon shares heartfelt message after deciding to leave Alpine at the end of 2024 amidst escalating tensions

Esteban Ocon has been making his trade with Alpine since 2020.

Esteban Ocon shares heartfelt message after deciding to leave Alpine at the end of 2024 amidst escalating tensions

Esteban Ocon (Via: Imago)

Alpine began the 2024 season with mediocre expectations as the team fought the A524 to bring it under the weight limit. On the other hand, fears regarding a French civil war had been burning as Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly fought tooth-and-nail over each other in the races. Subsequently, tensions rose within the Enstone-based team, which has now led the former to announce his departure from the team.

Esteban Ocon emerged as the lead driver within Alpine as talks deteriorated with Daniel Ricciardo and he moved to McLaren at the end of 2020. Soon after, the Frenchman was given a three-year contract extension until the end of the 2024 season. Moreover, the 27-year-old was poised for a new deal but the plan soon got de-railed as an internal tussle broke out within Enstone.

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This tussle led to the repercussion of Alpine announcing Ocon’s departure after the end of the ongoing season.

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BWT Alpine F1 Team and I have agreed together to part ways at the end of the 2024 F1 season.
Esteban Ocon shared on X

The Frenchman shared an emotional message on X in which he delved into his whole five-year journey with the team. However, his time with the Bruno Famin-led team is now ending and he claimed he would announce his future plans soon.

Alpine team principal expressed gratitude towards Esteban Ocon

While the ties between Ocon and the French team are ending, the 27-year-old was the driver that brought the first-place trophy for the outfit under the Alpine name in 2021. Thus, his team principal, Bruno Famin thanked him for his determination over the years.

Esteban Ocon(L) and Alpine's Bruno Famin(R), via IMAGO
Esteban Ocon(L) and Bruno Famin(R), via IMAGO

Subsequently, the 62-year-old expressed his gratitude towards his driver.

We would like to firstly thank Esteban[Ocon] for his commitment to the team for the past five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results.
Bruno Famin said in a press release by the team

Famin appreciated the 27-year-old for his commitment. Moreover, he mentioned Alpine’s first win with Ocon at the Hungarian GP in 2021. Despite the alliance breaking down, he emphasized that more than a dozen races remain in the 2024 season and everyone is focused on those races before Ocon bids farewell to the team.

Apart from this, the Frenchman has a serious task on hand to find a new seat to remain on the grid for the 2025 season. The most realistic options include a move to Haas or Williams. However, no move can be ruled out as the driver market has been quite volatile over the past few weeks.

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