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Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon announced that he would be leaving the French team at the end of the 2024 season after five years with them. The 27-year-old joined the Enstone-based team at the beginning of the 2020 season, replacing Nico Hulkenberg and partnering alongside Daniel Ricciardo.
As a partnership, the duo achieved a considerable amount of success with three podiums -- at Sakhir in 2020, Monaco in 2023, and a historic win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
However, the decision to end their time together had been coming for quite some time, given the animosity with teammate Pierre Gasly and the management reshuffle within the team.
Esteban Ocon's exit from Alpine leaves a very attractive seat on the grid for the drivers out of contract this season given the French team is an OEM. According to F1 pundit Lawrence Barretto, there are four possible candidates to replace the French driver next year.
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Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan has reportedly emerged as the favorite for the seat given his popularity within the team over the last couple of years. If the team does not go with the Aussie driver, they could potentially make a move to hire Carlos Sainz's services, who is also on the list of Williams and Audi.
The other two candidates for the seat are Kick Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas, who is also out of a drive for next year, and Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher, who has ties with Alpine from their Endurance Program.
Esteban Ocon resminices about his time with Alpine
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon stated that the Enstone-based outfit was a 'significant' part of his junior career. As per F1.com, the Frenchman said:
“It’s been a significant period of my life to be racing at this team in Formula 1. While I’ve been here for five years as a full-time racing driver, my professional career started at Enstone back when I was a teenager, so it will always be a special place for me."
Ocon added that they wanted to end his partnership with Alpine on a high and give it his all in the remaining 16 races and four Sprints in the 2024 season:
"We have had some great moments together, some tough moments as well, and I am certainly grateful to everyone on the team for these memorable times. I will announce my plans very soon but, in the meantime, my full focus is on delivering on track for this team and having a successful remainder of the season.”
Esteban Ocon has been one of the leading contenders to join the Haas F1 team for next year as a potential replacement for Nico Hulkenberg, who departs for the Audi project next year.
