“Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen in the same team, what could go wrong?”: F1 fans react as Frenchman and Red Bull tease announcements

Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon recently announced that he would part ways with the French team at the end of the season. Amidst the silly season action, Red Bull Racing is teasing a major announcement.

Ahead of the Canadian GP, Red Bull has created a broadcast channel on Instagram named 'Announcement', which has piqued the interest of F1 fans. It is speculated that the team will confirm their 2025 lineup before this weekend's race.

Esteban Ocon's Alpine exit has coincided with Red Bull Racing's major upcoming announcement. With Ocon confirming that he'll soon announce his plans for 2025, F1 fans are envisioning the Frenchman joining forces with Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing.

Ocon joining forces with Verstappen could seem like an unlikely prospect to some. The duo have known each other for a long time, but the 2018 Brazilian GP might have soured their relationship. In an attempt to unlap himself, Ocon tangled with race leader Verstappen, ruining his chances of winning the race. The duo had a confrontation post-race as the Red Bull driver shoved his rival.

Esteban Ocon also has a history with his past teammates including Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, and current Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly. With both parties teasing announcements, F1 fans online wondered what could go wrong with Ocon joining Red Bull Racing.

"Ocon and Verstappen in the same team. What could go wrong?" one X user wrote.

Another X user posted:

One F1 fan reckoned that anything could happen in the silly season.

"That would be so unexpected but in these times everything is possible," the comment read.

Here are a few other reactions to the rumors of the Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon driver pairing:

"Haha no way but would be spicy though," one user wrote.

"There's absolutely ZERO chance Verstappen is gonna pair with Ocon of all people on the same team," another user insisted.

"If in 10 minutes i get the news that “esteban ocon to join red bull racing in 2025” im jumping out a window no WAY," a third user wrote.

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Esteban Ocon to confirm his 2025 plans "very soon"

The Frenchman will part ways with Alpine after the season, ending his five-year journey with the Enstone-based squad. Esteban Ocon will leave the team as a race winner and has scored two other podium results.

Ocon reflected on his highs and lows with the team and expressed his gratitude for Alpine. He also confirmed that he would announce his plans for 2025 in the near future.

"We have had some great moments together, some tough moments as well, and I am certainly grateful to everyone at the team for these memorable times. I will announce my plans very soon but, in the meantime, my full focus is on delivering on track for this team and having a successful remainder of the season," Ocon said in a statement.

It is reported that Ocon is in negotiations with the Haas F1 team, with team principal Ayao Komatsu reportedly confirming interest in the Frenchman.