F1 News: Esteban Ocon slams Alpine after 'nonsense' team orders

Drivers, 2024, Generic, Social — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 star puts team on blast after 'NONSENSE' team orders

Esteban Ocon was not happy with his team after the race

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

Tuesday 11 June 2024 13:57

A Formula 1 driver has criticised his team after they gave him team orders in the latter stages of the Canadian Grand Prix.

In a thrilling race around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Max Verstappen was the eventual winner, with McLaren's Lando Norris second, and Mercedes' George Russell third.

F1 Headlines: Mercedes change 'would' tempt Verstappen as Hamilton appears dejected after Wolff message

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Further down the order, it was a strong day for Alpine, with both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon finishing in the points together for the first time in 2024.

On what should have been a day for optimism, things quickly soured after the drivers gave their interviews to the media.

Esteban Ocon was not happy following the Canadian GP

Esteban Ocon was ordered to let Pierre Gasly through

Esteban Ocon blasts Alpine's priority order

In the closing stages of the race, Alpine asked Ocon to allow Gasly through in order for him to have a chance at catching Daniel Ricciardo ahead.

Ocon initially refused the order, telling his team to 'forget it' over the radio, before eventually allowing his teammate to pass.

After the race, Ocon was clearly not happy with the order he was given.

The driver explained in the media pen: “I got the instructions to let Pierre [Gasly] past with two laps to go to catch Daniel [Ricciardo] who was two-and-a-half seconds in front and too fast for us.

“So the call was nonsense.”

Ocon branded Alpine's order as 'nonsense'

In a later interview with Canal +, Ocon then put the team on blast further, saying: "Unfortunately, we can see the trend that will continue until the end of the season. It's not right, I've done my job, not the team,"

"I'm bitter about the end, I started last and I took all the risks I needed to. I'm happy that we scored points as a team, but we would have scored just as many if I hadn't let Pierre get away at the end.

"I don't know where the call came from but I've done my part of the job and we'll discuss the rest internally."

The above team orders are likely to do nothing to ease tensions at Alpine following the two drivers previously coming together at the Monaco Grand Prix this year.

It has already been confirmed that Ocon will leave the team ahead of 2025.