“I kicked his a** and he didn’t like it”: Pierre Gasly opens up about his childhood friendship with Alpine compatriot Esteban Ocon in Drive to Survive

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly shared details of his childhood friendship with teammate Esteban Ocon in the recently released Netflix's F1 docuseries Drive To Survive.

With the 2024 campaign set to kick off in a few days at the Bahrain International Circuit, F1 enthusiasts were treated to a new season of Drive To Survive. In the fifth episode of the F1 series, titled "Civil War", fans were given a peek into the relationship between the two Alpine teammates and compatriots, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

Gasly's journey with Alpine began in 2023, with massive speculation going into the season about the potential challenges he could face teaming up with Ocon, given their contentious history. The docuseries delved into the duo's relationship, which traces back to their karting days and their bond as compatriots hailing from the same region of Normandy.

Recalling their formative years, Gasly said:

"I know Esteban. I know him like a younger brother. The only thing is, with Esteban, there are a lot of problems and tensions. We both know we'll never be best friends."

He added:

"The story with Esteban, there could be a movie about it. We're both coming from the same part of Normandy, living 20 minutes from each other. Growing up, from six years old until ten, we used to spend so much time together. We'd practice together, we would race together, and we were very close."

He continued:

"My first year or two, Esteban was slightly better than me, and he would just, like, go behind me, and try to overtake me and play these sort of psychological games. And then after, I kicked his a**, and he didn't like it."

Pierre Gasly reveals incident that damaged his friendship with Esteban Ocon

Detailing a pivotal moment that strained their friendship, Gasly recounted a dramatic race where he overtook Ocon on the final lap, leading to a rift between them. He said:

"I remember it was one of the biggest national competitions of the year at that time. I think it was 2008. I had a fantastic race that day and on the last lap, I am fourth, Esteban is third. Both side-by-side to the line, and then I just like passed him, just literally in the last corner. The friendship we had… it just went downward from there."

Meanwhile, corroborating Pierre Gasly's story, Esteban Ocon added:

"It is true, this is what he did. Overtake on the last lap, but I can tell you that he wasn't racing the way that he should have done."

Despite their differences, both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon were able to co-exist as teammates during the 2023 season. The French duo secured one podium apiece as Alpine finished sixth in the Constructors' standings.