The Alpine teammates have had a tense relationship since their karting days. It is widely known in the automotive community that Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly do not get along. In a recent interview for a popular streaming series, the French duo opened up about the reasons behind their long-standing animosity, which dates back to their early days in karting.
Both Ocon and Gasly are natives of the Normandy region in France. They made their Formula 1 debuts a few years later, with Ocon having his first contact with an F1 car in 2016 and Gasly getting his chance in 2017. In their early days, the two drivers were close friends and often traveled together to races. However, their friendship took a turn for the worse, and they have now revealed the cause of their tense relationship.
Gasly shared his perspective on the matter, stating that their friendship soured due to certain incidents. Meanwhile, Ocon shared his side of the story, explaining that there were misunderstandings and disagreements that led to the end of their friendship.
At the height of their rivalry, the duo even removed each other from their photos. However, when Gasly joined the team, there was a noticeable calm within the team, and tensions between the drivers seemed to have diminished. Although their relationship has improved, they now only interact as colleagues and not as friends as they used to be.
Gasly and Ocon were childhood friends, and it is common for friendships to have ups and downs. Gasly expressed his belief that a single fight should not be the end of a friendship. However, despite his efforts to reconcile with his compatriot, Gasly admitted that he was not successful in saving their friendship. He ultimately decided to accept that if Ocon did not want to be friends, he would respect that decision.
Despite their personal differences, both drivers are focused on the opening of the season in Bahrain. They have worked on themselves during the offseason and are prepared to put on a show on the track.
