Esteban Ocon to split with Alpine at end of 2024 Formula 1 season

Ocon joined the team in 2020 when they were known by the name of parent company Renault and scored one win in Hungary in 2021 in addition to two further podium finishes during his time there.

But the Frenchman’s stay at Alpine has been marked by intermittent tensions with his team-mates – first with Fernando Alonso through 2021-22 and more recently since Gasly joined the team for 2023.

The French pairing are former childhood friends who had a falling out some years ago, and both admit they will never be close again.

Famin was particularly upset by the incident in Monaco because the drivers had been repeatedly told throughout the weekend that whoever qualified in front would be given priority and the other would be expected to assist their race in whatever way possible.

But after Gasly qualified 10th and Ocon 11th, Ocon went for a move down the inside of Portier on the opening lap and the pair collided on the exit, leading to Ocon’s retirement.

F1 stewards found Ocon guilty of causing a collision and handed him a five-place grid penalty for this weekend’s race in Canada.

Ocon said he would announce where he would be driving in 2025 “very soon”.

The 27-year-old is managed by Mercedes but is not in the running for a move there, despite the seat left vacant by Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari next season.

He is expected to end up at one of Sauber, where he is behind Carlos Sainz on the wish-list of the team that will become Audi in 2026, Haas or Williams.