In June of last year, the Frenchman and the French team officially parted ways after five years of collaboration. This separation, foreshadowed in the weeks leading up to it, culminated in an on-track clash between Ocon and his then-teammate Pierre Gasly in Monaco. It was well known that relations had soured, and the same was true in Enstone.
Before sealing the deal with Haas for 2025, Esteban Ocon visited Williams in Grove for a seat fitting. “He was definitely under consideration,” said team principal James Vowles to *Autosport* at the time.
“Esteban didn’t come for a proper seat but rather because I wanted to evaluate him for 2025 and 2026. I needed to check if he could physically fit in the car or not. Like Alex [Albon], he’s a tall guy.”
The following week, Haas announced Esteban Ocon as a full-time driver to partner with young rookie Oliver Bearman in 2025.
Marcin Budkowski, former executive director of Alpine, revealed that “everyone” at the Enstone-based team was aware of Esteban Ocon’s meeting with Williams. The visit reportedly took place on the eve of the British Grand Prix.
How did Alpine discover their driver’s “detour”? Simple: through the GPS data on his company car. Speaking to *ViaPlay Poland*, Budkowski explained that the visit lasted five hours.
“These cars have trackers, GPS. So, it was discovered that his Alpine was parked at the Williams factory.” In this way, everyone at Enstone learned about Esteban Ocon’s visit.
“I don’t think [he was aware of this, ed.],” Budkowski added. “But let’s be honest: the team didn’t extend his contract, allowing him to talk to other teams. It’s just funny that the situation came to light this way,” he concluded.
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