“A blessing, not a consequence”: Fans react as Alpine boss threatens major consequences against Esteban Ocon

F1 fans reacted to Alpine team principal Bruno Famin claiming that there would be major consequences for Esteban Ocon colliding with his teammate Pierre Gasly on the opening lap of the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. The French driver collided with his compatriot heading into the Monaco Tunnel in his bid to get the P10 slot for himself on the opening lap.

It was a chaotic start to the race that saw collisions between several drivers but it was the two Frenchmen jostling for the sole points position that caught the attention.

Ocon, in his impatience to get an overtake on the streets of Monaco, collided with his teammate that saw the former retire from the race due to floor damage and could have proved costly for the team as well.

While speaking to Canal+, Alpine team boss Bruno Famin did not hold back on his criticism towards the Hungarian GP winner and said:

“It’s sad to see this kind of incident. It’s exactly what we didn’t want to see. Esteban’s attack was totally out of circumstances. It was exactly what we didn’t want to see and we’re going to draw the consequences. We’re going to make a tough decision."

“If we were fighting for a podium finish at the end of the race, why not, and still… But there, on the first lap, at Le Portier, frankly, it wasn’t the place to make an attack, leaving zero room for his teammate.”

F1 fans took to social media to give their reactions to Famin's comments on X.

"Ocon leaving Alpine would be a blessing, not a consequence," said a fan.

"I don't think they're going to fire him midseason for one crash. I could see them making him pay for the damage, though," mulled another fan.

"I can see Ocon being on the market very soon and the team taking an antipodean direction very soon..." wrote another fan.

Here are some more reactions:

Pierre Gasly criticizes Alpine teammate after first lap incident

Pierre Gasly stated that he was 'disappointed' with Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon for not following the pre-race instructions and colliding with him on the opening lap.

In his post-race interview with Sky Sports, Gasly was livid with his fellow countryman and said:

"I'm just disappointed with Esteban because it shouldn't have happened, and for the team. We can't afford to have this sort of behavior. We had clear instructions before the race and this hasn't been respected, and you should never take that much risk to take both cars out with your team-mates.

"I'm sure it will be discussed and we can't afford to have a similar situation in the future."

For his part, Esteban Ocon accepted the responsibility for the crash and apologized for his move on his social media platform.