03/06/2024
NEWS STORY
Insisting that he will be racing in Canada, Esteban Ocon has admitted his sadness at the abuse and negativity he has received since his clash with his Alpine teammate in Monaco.
The Frenchman clashed with his teammate on the opening lap of the race and while Pierre Gasly was able to make the restart, the damage to Ocon's car could not be fixed in time.
In the moment after the crash, team boss Bruno Famin was interviewed by a French TV station and in his anger suggested that Ocon could be dropped by the team. Meanwhile, the stewards declared that the Frenchman was guilty of causing a collision and imposed a 5-place grid penalty for the forthcoming Canadian Grand Prix.
This, combined with Famin's comments led to speculation that Alpine might choose to 'rest' Ocon for the Montreal weekend, though as time passed the boss's initial anger appeared to have abated.
"Today's incident was my fault," tweeted Ocon in the hours after the race, "adding that "the gap was too small in the end".
"I apologise to the team on this one," he continued. "Hoping for a deserved points-finish for the team today."
However, as is ever the case, on social media the usual suspects took up their traditional role of judge and executioner, leading to Ocon to take to X again on Friday.
"Much has been said in the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix," he wrote. "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," he continued. "I have always been a tough competitor, and, like most drivers, I've had my share of incidents.
"In the end, we are all competitors and hard, fair racing throughout the field is what makes our sport so great and the main reason why I love this sport so much. I'm looking forward to competing in Montreal, in front of the fantastic Canadian fans, and to the exciting opportunities the future holds."
While Alpine has yet to comment on his claim regarding Montreal, the FIA will no doubt view his comments with interest as it is currently working with various organisations in a bid to crack down on online abuse. (Good luck with that by the way - Ed).
Whatever happens in Canada, Ocon - and indeed Gasly - is unlikely to be at Alpine next season and is currently being linked with Haas, though some say Audi is another option should Carlos Sainz shun the new German team, which doesn't enter F1 in its own right until 2026.
In many ways however, Ocon should consider himself lucky, for fans of a certain vintage will remember another driver who took out his teammate at Monaco, albeit after exiting the tunnel.
Back then, an apoplectic team boss (Jeff Jordan) fired his driver Pete Aron on the spot, calling him a "bloody liar" and "a coward" on camera, just moments after the American had been rescued after his car had gone into the harbour. Thankfully, though his teammate was fighting for his life in a local hospital, Aron didn't have to face the wrath of social media... only an irate wife whom he ended up having a fling with.
After a brief stint as a TV pundit, Aron found employment with the Japanese team Yamura, winning the title in a thrilling, though tragic, finale at Monza, fending off the same teammate he'd crashed into at Monaco months earlier.
Note to Greg, Stefano and the gang, don't even think about it... it's been done already.