Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon discuss the incident that ended their friendship.
Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon (via IMAGO) have opened up about how an incident in karting ended their childhood friendship. The two French drivers, both from Normandy, were close friends in their early years and competed against each other in lower-level and regional races. However, their relationship took a turn for the worse after a heated argument on the track.
During the recent season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, Gasly shared his side of the story, revealing that he had a notable race that day, finishing in fourth place, while Ocon secured third place on the final lap. Gasly managed to overtake Esteban on the last corner after an intense side-by-side battle. From that moment, their friendship began to deteriorate. On the other hand, Ocon presented a different perspective on the incident.
Gasly later confirmed that he was disqualified from the race due to his aggressive maneuver. Despite his efforts to mend the friendship, Ocon chose not to reconcile. However, Gasly and Ocon, both representing Alpine, maintained a professional relationship. They have achieved podium finishes, and their performances have been among the few highlights for Alpine in the 2023 season.
Alpine, one of the Formula 1 teams participating in the data analysis before the Bahrain Grand Prix, faces uncertainties regarding its position in the F1 hierarchy, despite potential improvements with the A524. The team expects a challenging start to the 2024 season, considering the power unit shortages from the previous year. To enhance their understanding of race conditions, the team is working diligently.
During the three-day testing period, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly completed a total of 334 laps, indicating minimal reliability issues. Gasly encountered a red flag and a loose wheel, which caused him to lose some testing time, but overall, the A524 proved to be reliable. Both drivers achieved better lap times compared to the previous season: Ocon set a personal record on Thursday with a time of 1:33.079, while Gasly set a new record on the last day of pre-season testing with a time of 1:32.149.
Alpine is hopeful for a stable and reliable season after the challenges faced in 2023. Their main focus is improving the A524 and avoiding the power shortages experienced in the previous year. Despite a difficult start, the improved lap times and reliability during this week’s testing may be indicative of positive results in the future.
