Racing Rivalries Take a Personal Turn: Ocon’s Team Dynamics Under Scrutiny Amidst Departure from Alpine

Concerns over being a "team player" lead Esteban Ocon to fear things are becoming personal

"After several incidents, you begin to wonder, 'has this become personal?'"

Worries have been raised regarding the possibility of Esteban Ocon’s bond with his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly turning "personal".

Alpine announced that Ocon's tenure with the team would conclude at the termination of his current contract this year, after an incident at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix where he frustrated his team by colliding with Gasly.

Over the past weekend in Austria, the duo from Alpine engaged in intense competition at moments, culminating with Gasly securing the 10th position and Ocon ending up in 12th place.

After the race, Gasly pondered his answer before sharing with Sky Sports, "It would benefit everyone if there was a bit more space. I manage my vehicle, not the others…

"At its core, it's Formula 1. I'm aware that the competition will always be intense."

Gasly expressed satisfaction with how Alpine managed their race duel: "I was pleased. I asked them to leave it to me. My job was to figure out how to overtake him.

"At times, it's beneficial. We'll assess it post-race."

Ocon remarked, "It was a typical contest. Everything was fine. The race was tough but played fairly."

Ocon has yet to announce his team for the upcoming racing season, following his departure from Alpine.

However, Naomi Schiff from Sky Sports raised the question of whether team managers might be deterred from choosing Ocon because of his readiness to engage in skirmishes with his colleagues. He has, in the past, incited the anger of Gasly's former teammate, Fernando Alonso.

"Schiff mentioned that he had a hectic weekend."

Reflecting on the qualifying round, it appears in hindsight that there was an almost intentional effort to eliminate his teammate, especially considering how limited the time was.

"The conflicts that unfolded in that place…

Currently, he's a racer lacking direction. It's unclear what efforts he's making personally or towards other teams in the paddock to demonstrate his commitment to teamwork and his dedication to advancing the team's interests.

"Pierre and Esteban seemed to have maintained their relationship up until now.

"Currently, it appears to be becoming more personal."

"Our perspective is limited to the external view. We're not fully informed. However, with several incidents occurring, one begins to wonder if there's a personal motive behind it."

"Then, when you observe his actions towards Fernando Alonso, you think 'that's simply his racing style…'"

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