Esteban Ocon: a look back at his five French seasons

After 5 laps aboard a car commitments Renault, or 28 km traveled, Esteban José Jean-Pierre Or with will not participate in the 2024 season finale with Alpine. A decision whose conditions remain unclear while the Evreux native was due to take part in his last race for the French team before joining Haas in 2025. A look back at the highlights of his history with the teamenstone.

2020: An arrival under the sign of a global pandemic

First podium in F1 for Ocon © ANTONIN VINCENT / DPPI

Back on the grid with Renault after a sabbatical, Ocon is having a complicated season. He is dominated by Daniel Ricciardo, his teammate who stood out during qualifying. A difficult start for the Évreux native who suffered from mechanical problems and mixed performances in a season disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was at the Sakhir Grand Prix that the former Force India player would climb onto an F1 podium for the first time in his career. A second place that allowed him to finish the year in 12th position in the Drivers' Championship with 62 points.

2021: Name change and celebration

On the top step of the podium © Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

The Renault team is renamed Alpine. Ocon marked this renewal by scoring his first victory in Formula 1 the same year at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Eurois took advantage of a chaotic start to the race. On a wet track, a start and then a failed braking of Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) eliminates several contenders for victory, including the two Red Bull de Max Verstappen (left with a badly damaged car) and Sergio Perez (retired). The Frenchman then found himself in second position and took advantage of the drying conditions to return to the pits and put on slick tyres, like almost the entire pack. Lewis Hamilton finds himself alone on the grid and stops a lap later. Ocon then inherits the lead of the race and resists the pressure of Sebastian Vettel before seeing the checkered flag at the head of the peloton.

2022: Consistent results without victory

In Alpine with uneven performances, Esteban Ocon was able to stand out by surpassing Fernando Alonso in the drivers' standings. With 92 points, the Frenchman is in 8th place while the Spaniard with 11 points less is ranked 9th. In Japan, on a wet track, the French driver is unbeatable, nicknamed " the minister of defense » by Canal +, while he is chased by Lewis Hamilton for 4th place. A duel won by Ocon with less than half a second ahead of the Briton. Despite the absence of a podium or victory, he contributes to placing the blue-white-pink single-seater in fourth place in the Constructors' Championship.

2023: Ocon vs Gasly, the French revolution

Ocon and gasly : rival compatriots within the same team © ANTONIN VINCENT / DPPI

Alpine welcomes Pierre Gasly alongside his compatriot for a season full of rivalry. This 100% French duo electrified the team, with intense duels on the track throughout the year. Esteban Ocon stands out by getting on the third step of the podium at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix. Despite an error of Carlos Sainz at the exit of the tunnel which slightly touched the back of the A523, of an almost eternal immobilization of 4,2 seconds and of a strategic mistake on the side Ferrari After the rain, the Norman managed to resist Lewis Hamilton until the end of the race.

2024: High tension season podium supplement

Double podium in Brazil for the French © ANTONIN VINCENT / DPPI

A complicated year for the Norman, marked by growing tensions with Alpine. Esteban Ocon took a superb second place at the Brazilian Grand Prix, ahead of his teammate, allowing the team to secure a memorable double podium and move up to 6th place in the constructors' standings in a year full of disappointments for the French. In a race punctuated by bold strategies in the torrential rains of São Paulo, the Evreux driver led for several laps before being overtaken by Max Verstappen when the race resumed. This podium, although brilliant, was not enough to dispel the growing internal tensions since the arrival of Flavio Briatore as executive advisor, his influence exacerbating the disagreements between the driver and the team. Finally, Ocon announced his departure for Haas in 2025 before being ousted by Alpine just before the last round of the season, replaced prematurely by Jack Doohan, his replacement for next season.

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