F1 pundit suggests REAL reason for driver exit

A Formula 1 pundit has revealed what he believes to be the true reason for Esteban Ocon's exit from Alpine.

The driver from Normandy will depart the French team at the end of 2024, it was announced on Monday. It means Ocon's fifth season with the Enstone outfit will be his last, and he now faces the prospect of finding a 2025 seat in the ever-changing driver market.

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Despite a trio of podiums and a win at Alpine, the relationship appears to have become less fruitful recently, with problems exacerbated when Ocon collided with teammate Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix.

That incident prompted a strong reaction from team boss Bruno Famin, who said that Ocon's move to cause the crash was 'completely out of line.'

Ocon exit 'natural' regardless of Monaco fiasco

Despite the fallout from Ocon's actions during the Monaco GP, the coming together with his team-mate may not have been as consequential in contract discussions as first thought.

Appearing on Sky Sports News, Craig Slater stated that he had been told Ocon's exit had 'nothing to do' with the Monaco incident.

"This would've happened, anyway,” he said of the departure.

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“The advice I'm being given is the relationship between him and the team has come to a natural end," Slater continued. "He had been there for 5 years, which is a long time in Formula 1 terms.

"Maybe the team aren’t in the position he expects it to be at this point and needs a bit of freshness and new direction from another driver coming in.

“If you add that to the fact that he and Pierre Gasly are maybe, on occasion, rubbing up the wrong way, that’s the reason for his departure at the end of the year.”

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