It has been a brutal year for Esteban Ocon. The Frenchman, who remains the sole driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix for Alpine, was shown the door earlier this season. Despite his promising stats, the French outfit refused to extend his contract and decided to let go of their prized possession following the 2024 campaign. Of course, Alpine had its reasons, one of which was Ocon’s difficulty keeping himself out of trouble on the track.
The feisty young driver couldn’t resist fighting his own teammates, triggering unwanted feuds within the team. It started with his seemingly peaceful tenure alongside Fernando Alonso; the two-time world champion carried the team while also acting as a mentor to Ocon. He even played a crucial role in helping Ocon secure his only race win in Formula 1 (at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix). However, things went out of hand following a couple of on-track incidents involving the two teammates.
The dramatic scenes in #F1Sprint Shootout that saw Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon make contact! 🤯#BrazilGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/viBlEaHnJN
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 4, 2023
Alonso was unhappy, and so was Ocon. A brutal rivalry was in the making, and there was clear animosity within the Alpine camp. Hence, hoping to prevent the situation from escalating, Alpine chose to back Ocon and subsequently let go of Alonso. Two years later, a similar pattern emerged late last season, with Pierre Gasly on the other side. Unfortunately, in this case, Ocon disrupted one too many team strategies, hindering both drivers from scoring decent points when they had the chance.
And it seemed like Ocon’s days in Formula 1 were over. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case as RacingNews365 has reported that Ocon will join Alpine’s rival team for the 2025 season.
Where is Esteban Ocon headed for the next F1 season?
According to reports, Ocon will be moving to the American-based Haas F1 team for the 2025 season, replacing Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen has been in the danger zone for quite a while now due to his flurry of crashes and controversies, and the impact it had on the team’s budget cap. Therefore, for the first time since 2021, Haas will be sporting two entirely new drivers on the grid for the 2025 season.
🚨| Haas are set to announce Esteban Ocon will drive for them in 2025
An announcement is reportedly expected before the summer break, as per @Racingnews365c.
Ocon will sign a multi-year contract, at the American team.
At Alpine, they hope to eventually bring in Sainz as… pic.twitter.com/OXejoIyrro
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 6, 2024
Ocon will be partnering Oliver Bearman, the 19-year-old Briton who will be making his debut in Formula 1 as a full-time driver. Several drivers were indeed looking to secure a place in Haas. However, with Haas signing an inexperienced driver for one of their cars, they desperately needed an experienced driver to guide the team forward.
And, Ocon seems to be the perfect answer to Haas’ problems. But, the question is, after what has been an underwhelming season, can Ocon pull off a mindblowing comeback with the American outfit?
Sara Chavan