During the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez went through a moment of confusion that resulted in a serious accident, also involving Nico Hulkenberg. Meanwhile, further down the track, Esteban Ocon had his own fit of rage, colliding with his teammate at the tunnel entrance and eliminating himself from the race. Gasly, who managed to avoid the incident, continued the race under red flag conditions and secured a point for the Alpine team.
This is not the first time Ocon has shown such reckless behavior, as he has a history of conflicts with his teammates. Alpine team boss Bruno Famin promised consequences, but it remains to be seen how the French team will handle the situation going forward. In his column for Sky Sports F1, commentator Brundle shared his thoughts on the incident, acknowledging that Ocon needs to reassess his approach to racing.
Brundle stated: «Ocon is undoubtedly a talented and fast driver, but his track record clearly shows that he becomes irrationally aggressive, especially towards his teammates. Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, and now Gasly have criticized him for his aggressive behavior and contacts within the team. This kind of mindset will have serious consequences for Esteban, as no top-level team would tolerate it.»
Brundle also emphasized the impact of a driver’s behavior on the track on the entire support system and investment behind them in Formula 1. He explained: «A driver represents not only themselves, but also hundreds of dedicated professionals and millions of pounds in sponsorship and investment. Repeatedly attacking your own teammate without restraint is simply unacceptable.»
Después del incidente en Mónaco, Ocon pidió disculpas en las redes sociales, asumiendo la responsabilidad por el accidente y expresando remordimiento hacia su equipo. Vale la pena señalar que el contrato actual de Ocon con Alpine expira al final de la temporada de F1 de 2024, y este incidente ciertamente no ayuda en las negociaciones para la renovación del contrato.
Hay rumores de que Alpine podría considerar dejar a Ocon fuera de la próxima carrera en Canadá, aunque esto parece poco probable. Ocon ya cumplirá una penalización de cinco posiciones en la parrilla por su colisión con Gasly en Mónaco. El equipo podría optar por reemplazarlo por el piloto reserva Jack Doohan en esta carrera, con Ocon potencialmente regresando para el Gran Premio de España.
