Alpine officially announces the departure of Esteban Ocon
Alpine announced a surprise change ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the 2024 season. Esteban Ocon will give up his seat to Jacques Doohan, giving Doohan the opportunity to make his F1 debut.
Esteban Ocon, who has a contract with Haas for 2025, will leave Alpine one grand prix earlier than planned. It appears that a deal has been struck between the driver and the team to allow him to test with his new team in the post-season test on the Tuesday after the race. This meant that the seat had to be vacated before the final race of the season.
Jacques Doohan, who is preparing for the 2025 season, will get his first real racing experience. In Abu Dhabi, he will be paired with Pierre Gasly, who will officially become his teammate starting in 2025. This debut Grand Prix could be a practical test for Doohan as Alpine’s interest in Franco Colapinto grows.
Toto Wolff described Mercedes’ involvement in the negotiations between Ocon and Alpine after the Qatar Grand Prix.
Wolff said, “We agree that there is a solution for the future that will help Esteban [Ocon] prepare faster and better for Haas, and whether that depends on the run in Abu Dhabi is something we have discussed.”
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes said, “This decision comes from all sides. I think we can say that bringing Jacques [Doohan] in earlier is a good thing. From Esteban’s side, I think it is good to move on more quickly. It is good for all of us”.
On the social networking site, Alpine thanked Ocon, the team’s only winning driver.
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