"No one's hiding behind anything": Esteban Ocon throws subtle shade at Alpine in new Haas era

Haas F1 driver Esteban Ocon has subtly criticized his former team, Alpine, for not having a "healthy environment". He left the Enstone-based team after the 2024 season, but it didn't seem like the most amicable divorce.

Alpine had announced in June 2024 that it would part ways with the French driver, effective at the end of the season. The decision was made during an unusually early part of the season, which would end in November. Though the blow came in the aftermath of Ocon crashing with teammate Pierre Gasly on the opening lap of the Monaco Grand Prix, that wasn't the only factor in the decision.

A month later, Haas confirmed it had signed Esteban Ocon to partner with Oliver Bearman from 2025 onwards. The 28-year-old recently opened up about the stark contrast in the operations of Haas and his former team. He told Autosport:

"Compared to my previous experience, it's (Haas) a healthy environment. As I said, no one's hiding behind anything. If we don't do something right, we talk about it and hope not to do it again.

And we talk about it straight away at the end of the race. And that's good, because if you don't talk about it, which is what I've experienced before, then you [are] going to do it again. That's the main thing," the French driver added.

At Alpine, Esteban Ocon also had a bittersweet relationship/rivalry with Pierre Gasly. However, that wasn't new. Ocon had developed a reputation in the F1 paddock as a driver who wasn't a team player. But in his new era with Haas, he is getting along unusually well with rookie Oliver Bearman.

Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman's blooming relationship defines Haas' new era

Esteban Ocon with Oliver Bearman at the F1 British GP - Source: Getty

Haas teammates Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman share a great working relationship, something other team bosses might want in their driver pairings. In the past, Ocon always had turbulent relationships with his teammates, be it with Sergio Perez at Racing Point or Fernando Alonso and his successor, Pierre Gasly, at Alpine.

However, with Bearman, the French driver seems to have hit it off. In a recent interview with Motorsport, he admitted that Bearman had become his best teammate among all the drivers he had worked alongside in the past.

"[With him] I probably have the best relationship out of all the teammates I had. We really get along super well, and it's nice to have such an atmosphere inside the team and the track," Ocon said.

Their great camaraderie was on display at the Belgian Grand Prix, when Ocon respectfully let his faster rookie teammate pass him even though there were no team orders. Team Principal Ayao Komatsu seems to have truly raised Haas' performance level since replacing Guenther Steiner in 2024.

Contrastingly, Ocon's claim about the lack of a healthy environment at Alpine seems to be true. The Flavio Briatore-led team has pressured two rookies to perform in less than six races each this season.

Ocon's replacement, Jack Doohan, was demoted to a reserve driver role after only six races, while his successor, Franco Colapinto, was given a five-race contract. However, the latter's stay was extended to the end of 2025 despite similar poor performance.