Esteban Ocon, who will leave the BWT Alpine team at the end of the 2024 season, finally spoke out about his future. Rumors have emerged that his move to a new team might lead to other drivers being let go this year. One of the drivers currently in the hot seat is Valtteri Bottas from the Stake F1 Team, a Finnish driver known for his consistency, experience, and a ten-time race winner during his stint with Mercedes.
Valtteri Bottas blocked by Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon announced he will drive for the Moneygram Hass F1 Team, an American team, in the 2025 season. The current Haas team principal, Ayao Komatsu, commented:
“I’m delighted we’ve secured Esteban Ocon’s services for Haas… I’ve obviously been aware of his talents for a long time, and our personal history dates back to Esteban’s maiden run in a Formula 1 car—I was his race engineer that day with Lotus.”
According to Komatsu, the 2025 driver pairing of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon is a “hungry, dynamic [driver pairing].”
Welcoming Esteban Ocon to the team from next season! 🙌🇫🇷
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) July 25, 2024
The Formula One race winner has signed a multi-year contract and becomes the first grand prix race winner to drive for the team since our F1 debut in 2016.#HaasF1
However, due to Ocon’s decision other drivers feel pressure as the seats run out. With Carlos Sainz at the top of every team’s list, drivers like Valterri Bottas and others who ran out of a contract are under scrutiny. These drivers are waiting for Sainz’s decision, on which they can decide their seats. Hence, Bottas is under significant stress, as the lingering uncertainty about his career prospects weighs heavily on him.
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When asked, the 34-year-old expressed his concern for his future to RacingNews365:
“Still waiting… Maybe for Carlos [Sainz], but maybe not… At some point, I don’t think everyone is going to probably wait for him, but I’m still waiting for something.”
He ensured to add:
“Obviously, for me, I’m getting to the point that hopefully sooner rather than later. As everyone knows, if things drag on to the August break, after the August break, it can start to become quite nerve-racking.”
Especially after another seat fills up, the Finnish driver is rightfully concerned for his future, which is dependent on the highly competitive and ruthless driver market. Along with him, other drivers such as Kevin Magnussen, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant are all lined up behind the decision of Carlos Sainz, which will drag even after the summer break.
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The uncertainty in the driver market is palpable, with each team carefully weighing their options and making strategic decisions. As the summer break approaches, the pressure mounts on drivers and teams alike to secure their positions for the upcoming season.
Rohit Kumar