Esteban Ocon ignored Alpine team orders in Monaco according to F1 pundit

F1 pundit Lawrence Barretto claimed that Esteban Ocon ignored the team's orders at the Monaco Grand Prix on May, 26 when he collided with his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly. The French driver went for a move to get the P10 slot from Gasly at the Le Portier corner and banged wheels with him.

The contact between the drivers sent Ocon's car into the wheel and sustained floor and body damage that could not be repaired during the red flag stoppage. The incident left Alpine team principal Bruno Famin raging and he did not hold back as he criticized the Frenchman.

In his column for F1.com, Lawrence Barretto revealed that the team had given instructions to Esteban Ocon to support Pierre Gasly as the latter was the leading driver in P10 at the start of the race. He wrote:

"I understand Ocon and Pierre Gasly were told before qualifying in Monaco that team orders would be in use in the Grand Prix and that it was a requirement of the driver behind on the grid to support the driver ahead.

That message, I’m told, was repeated ahead of the race on Sunday. Therefore you can understand Famin’s irritation when Ocon ignored that instruction and ambitiously tried a move on Gasly on lap one into Portier, causing damage to both cars and forcing his own retirement."

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Alpine team boss reflects on Esteban Ocon's exit at the end of the 2024 season

Alpine team boss Bruno Famin stated that he was 'thankful' for Esteban Ocon's contribution in his five-year tenure with the Endstone-based team.

During their time together, the 27-year-old scored three podiums, a P3 finish in Monaco last year, a P2 finish at Sakhir 2020, and a famous win in Hungary in 2021. As per F1.com, Famin said:

“We would like to first thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which came at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win."

Famin emphasized that the pair will 'work tirelessly' in the remainder of the races to take the French team back to the midfield pack, having started the season at the back, adding:

“We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results. We wish Esteban the very best for the next chapter of his driving career when that moment comes.”

Esteban Ocon joined the Alpine F1 team in 2020 during their Renault days, replacing Nico Hulkenberg and partnering Daniel Ricciardo. Both Ocon and the French team haven't provided any updates regarding their future, for the 2025 season.