F1 Rumor: Esteban Ocon Reported To Be Leaving Alpine At End Of Season

Esteban Ocon's tenure with the Alpine F1 team may be drawing to a close, as revelations emerge about his potential departure after this racing season. The rumors around his exit gained traction after a contentious moment at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Ocon collided with teammate Pierre Gasly. The incident not only intensified scrutiny of Ocon's approach to racing but also cast doubt on his future with Alpine and possibly within Formula 1.

The French driver's aggressive maneuvers, especially against teammates, have frequently sparked debates about sportsmanship and team dynamics in Formula 1. The recent Monaco incident forced Ocon to retire from the race with suspension damage and also resulted in a five-place grid penalty for his next race. Commentators like Martin Brundle have pointed out that such behavior could severely limit his options within top F1 teams. He stated in his column for Sky Sports F1:

"Ocon is a fine and fast racing driver, but history clearly demonstrates that he has an irrational red mist when it comes to racing, particularly against his teammates....It will cost Esteban heavily as no front-running team would entertain that kind of mentality, or even perhaps any team.

“He has been heavily criticised before by Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso for his intra-team aggression and contact, and now Gasly too.

“It will cost Esteban heavily as no front-running team would entertain that kind of mentality, or even perhaps any team.”

Following the incident in Monaco, BBC Sport F1 reporter Andrew Benson reported:

"Ocon is tipped to leave Alpine at the end of the season."

It is also speculated that Ocon could be benched for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix as punishment for the Monaco maneuver. However, this has not been confirmed by the team yet.