Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are notorious for their tense relationship in the world of Formula 1.
During the latter part of FP3 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, chaos ensued when both drivers caused red flags. One driver who was visibly upset was Gasly, as he missed the opportunity to set a fast lap after the green flag.
Alpine’s performance struggles have only worsened this season, with the team managing to score just one point in six races. However, in Imola, Gasly voiced his frustration with the team’s preference for Ocon.
Gasly’s conversation with his radio engineer went as follows:
Gasly: This is horrible, guys. It was managed very poorly. I don’t understand. Why is it always the same in this situation?
Engineer: Everyone was bunched up there, no one could make a lap.
Gasly: Yes, except Esteban. I thought I would have priority this weekend.
Pierre Gasly expressed his dissatisfaction with the team management at the end of FP3. The French driver accused the team of favoring his teammate, Esteban Ocon, after the determination of the starting order for a late restart. Gasly has not been on the podium since the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix and has been struggling against his teammate in good form this season.
While Gasly was furious with Alpine for how things unfolded in the final stages of FP3, Ocon secured eighth place at the end of the session. This is an encouraging result considering the team’s below-par performance throughout the season.
Ocon managed to score a point in the Miami Grand Prix, while Gasly once again found himself frustrated when Ocon overtook him in the final stages and finished in tenth place. Additionally, during the weekend in Imola, Ocon was released before Gasly to set the fastest lap, with only two minutes remaining until the checkered flag in FP3, as mentioned earlier.
This situation created visible tension between the Alpine drivers. With all this in mind, it will be intriguing to see how the dynamic between Gasly and Ocon unfolds for the remainder of the Emilia-Romagna GP weekend.
