Sidelined early
Alpine’s 2024 Formula 1 season was highly unusual. The French team began the season poorly, as the tail-ender of the starting grid, but managed to turn things around mid-season, largely thanks to a remarkable double podium at the São Paulo GP, with Esteban Ocon finishing second and Pierre Gasly third right behind him. That race allowed the French team, which had recently welcomed Flavio Briatore back into its management, to jump from ninth to sixth in the Constructors’ standings. This position was maintained until the final GP in Abu Dhabi. However, at the Yas Marina Circuit, Esteban Ocon did not take to the track, as Flavio Briatore sidelined him one race early to make room for Jack Doohan, the driver set to replace him for the 2025 season.
Fewer Points, but…
Ocon was accused, not so subtly, of already prioritizing the interests of his future team, Haas, which incidentally was Alpine’s direct rival in the Constructors’ standings. Season-long statistics show that the #31’s performances were not significantly different from those of the #10. In fact, Esteban Ocon, excluding the Abu Dhabi race he missed, scored fewer points than his garage mate: before Gasly’s fifth-place finish in the penultimate GP of the season in Qatar, the gap between the two was only three points. The future Haas driver also won the ‘head-to-heads’ in qualifying, with a 12-11 advantage, and in completed races, finishing ahead nine times compared to Gasly’s eight.
A Balanced Derby
The Rouen native, on his part, was more consistent at high levels: in addition to scoring more points, Gasly achieved more top-10 finishes than his teammate. Overall, the comparison is balanced: no other teammate pairing displayed such similar statistics throughout 2024. Esteban Ocon’s next challenge will be equally compelling, as he faces a level playing field at Haas, where he will duel with rookie Ollie Bearman, regarded as one of the most promising prospects of Formula 1’s ‘Next Gen.’
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