Esteban Ocon, the Alpine Formula 1 driver, has recently spoken out about his former teammate Fernando Alonso, expressing his relief that the two-time world champion is no longer with the team. Speaking to Ouest France, Ocon revealed that he was disappointed by Alonso’s comments in the press and claimed that he did the lion’s share of the work while the Spaniard did very little.
Ocon began by sharing his excitement at the prospect of working alongside his new teammate, Pierre Gasly. “The first time Pierre got into a kart was mine. We drove together on the same circuits, in the same races,” he said. “We had a dream: to drive together in F1 and made that dream come true. I can’t wait to start that collaboration.”
However, Ocon’s focus soon shifted to his former teammate Alonso, with whom he had a somewhat rocky relationship during their time together at Alpine. Ocon admitted that he was disappointed by some of the comments Alonso made to the press, but claimed that the two had managed to keep their differences internal.
“It is true that I was disappointed by what Alonso said in the press, but he kept it to himself internally,” Ocon said. “I still respect him, but it is good that he is going to Aston Martin and that we each go our way.”
Ocon went on to explain why he was glad to see the back of Alonso, claiming that he had done the bulk of the work during their time together. “To be honest, I did 98% of the work and he did 2%. I was overworked,” he said. “I did all the development work in the simulator and I also did the marketing activities.”
Ocon’s comments are likely to raise eyebrows within the F1 community, particularly given Alonso’s reputation as one of the sport’s most talented and hard-working drivers. However, Ocon’s remarks also highlight the intense pressure that F1 drivers are under, and the importance of maintaining a positive working relationship with teammates.
As Ocon begins his new partnership with Gasly, he will undoubtedly be hoping that the two can enjoy a more harmonious relationship than he did with Alonso. Meanwhile, Alonso will be looking to make an impact at Aston Martin and prove his doubters wrong.
