Ocon confirms that he will race in Canada despite intra-team unrest
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon has confirmed in a post on social media that he will drive for the team at next weekend's Canadian Grand Prix despite speculations that he will be forced to miss the Montreal round for causing a collision with his team-mate Pierre Gasly.
Esteban Ocon had a tough Monaco Grand Prix as he collided with his team-mate Pierre Gasly. On the first race lap, Ocon was attempting a bold move on his team-mate down the inside of the Portier corner when the pair banged wheels.
Although another incident between Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez brought out the safety car, Ocon's Alpine was so badly damaged that he was forced to retire from the race. The Anglo-French outfit managed to repair Gasly's car during the stoppage, but it still prompted an angry response from team boss Bruno Famin.
After the Monaco race, it has emerged that Famin might be so annoyed by the incident that he might intruct Ocon to sit out the forthcoming Canadian Grand Prix and ask reserve driver Jack Doohan to drive for Alpine in Montreal.
“Much has been said in the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix. While I have received many messages of support, I have been deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity that I have received online regarding my character, my driving, and my career.
“Thanks to the hard work, support, and sacrifices of many people, I’ve raced in over 140 Grands Prix so far since my debut in 2016. I have always been a tough competitor, and, like most drivers, I’ve had my share of incidents.
“I have been lucky to race alongside talented and experienced teammates, including race winners Daniel [Ricciardo], Checo [Perez] and Pierre [Gasly], and a double champion in Fernando [Alonso]. As team mates, we would often start races very close to each other which in some cases meant some tough battles on track, and sometimes contact.
Although Ocon acknowledges that he has made mistakes in the past, he denies the allegations that he would be an unable to work with a team in a way that brings the outfit forward.
“Of course, I have made honest mistakes. We are not robots; we are athletes pushing ourselves to the limit every day to achieve our dreams of winning races. F1 is a sport where emotions run high, and passions run deep.
“I see and feel this every weekend at the track and on social media… the good and the bad. But the misinformed statements and gross distortions that I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work with a team have been inaccurate, hurtful, and damaging," concluded Ocon.
