Esteban Ocon's emotional post on social media: 5 conclusions

Esteban Ocon's emotional message on social media was a breath of fresh air. The French driver has been under the pump since his first-lap collision with Pierre Gasly in Monaco.

Ocon has been attacked online and much has been written about his future as well. It has been claimed that he might not even be in Canada, so the driver had to speak out and clarify his future.

The crux of the whole thing was in the last line, where Ocon stated that he would be in Canada. There was, however, a lot more that became apparent.

Let's take a look at some of the key takeaways from Esteban Ocon's heartfelt note on social media.

#1 He's staying because of his contract, not because Bruno Famin changed his mind

How often do we see a driver being forced to put out a statement to quash rumors? Not often. But what's worse is when a team doesn't stand by a driver even after they have been forced to make a statement.

As soon as Esteban Ocon's statement came out, one thing that gave a clear idea of the relationship was a somewhat muted acknowledgment from the Alpine official account.

There were no reposts or quotes. It was simply a short emoji on the post. There's almost a case of Ocon staying because his contractual stipulations save him from that situation, not that the entire team is in agreement with him staying.

#2 He refutes Pierre Gasly's claim of pre-race team order

There's a part in the entire post where Esteban Ocon makes it clear that he didn't violate any team order in any way.

This is contrary to what Pierre Gasly has claimed in the media, where the French driver suggested that there was some pre-race pact between the two drivers about not battling on the track.

It will be interesting to see if the media approaches the drivers and the team principal, asking for clarity on the situation.

#3 Esteban Ocon is not staying at Alpine for 2025

One thing that seems to be quite clear is that Esteban Ocon is not staying at Alpine beyond this season.

The driver has done a brilliant job this season, but even if we keep the public vilification on one side from Bruno Famin, there's clear evidence of discord between the two parties, and that's not ending anytime soon.

The French driver is in what would be the last phase of his partnership with Alpine, there's hardly any conflicting evidence to this assertion.

#4 Ocon has called out not only fans but F1 pundits

One thing that seems to have irked Esteban Ocon is what he called a 'gross distortion' of his character. Even in some of the biggest publications, a sweeping and possibly unfair allegation was made against Ocon, claiming he's a bad teammate.

The reputation has stuck with the French driver since his partnership with Sergio Perez but if you look at it closely, the Mexican was the aggressor in 2017. He ignored team orders and possibly cost Ocon a first F1 podium.

The coming together between the two drivers in Spa was almost deliberate by Perez, and in 2018 as well, it was the Mexican who caused Ocon a DNF.

In the four times that there was a coming together, Perez was the guilty party three times. Even in Ocon's battles with Fernando Alonso, the French driver never went over the limit. It was hard racing, and it was initially branded as such by the Spaniard before he finally decided to leave the team, and then things changed.

Ocon is a tough racer, be it his teammates or not, he doesn't cede positions easily. But is he a bad teammate or a team player? That's incorrect.

#5 The last 16 races at Alpine are not going to be easy

Finally, the harsh reality that Esteban Ocon would have been well aware of is that now his time left at Alpine is not going to be an easy one. Pierre Gasly will get priority in everything, be it upgrades, strategies, or spare parts.

Overall, it's not going to be the most welcome motorhome for Ocon as he tries to secure his future in F1.