The Alpine teammates have had a strained relationship since their karting days. It is widely known in the racing community that Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly do not get along. In a recent interview for a popular streaming series, the French duo opened up about the reasons behind their long-standing animosity that dates back to their early days in karting.
Both Ocon and Gasly hail from the Normandy region in France. They made their Formula 1 debuts a few years apart, with Ocon getting his first taste of F1 machinery in 2016 and Gasly getting his chance in 2017. In their early days, the two drivers were close friends and often traveled together for races. However, their friendship took a turn for the worse, and they have now revealed the cause of their strained relationship.
Gasly shared his perspective on the matter, stating that their friendship soured due to certain incidents. Meanwhile, Ocon shared his side of the story, explaining that there were misunderstandings and disagreements that led to their falling out.
At the height of their rivalry, the duo even went as far as removing each other from their photos. However, when Gasly joined the team, there was a noticeable calmness within the team, and the tensions between the drivers seemed to have subsided. While their relationship has improved, they now only interact as colleagues and not as friends like they used to be.
Gasly and Ocon were childhood friends, and it is common for friendships to have ups and downs. Gasly expressed his belief that a single fight shouldn’t be the end of a friendship. However, despite his efforts to reconcile with his compatriot, Gasly admitted that he was unsuccessful in salvaging their friendship. He ultimately decided to accept that if Ocon didn’t want to be friends, he would respect that decision.
Despite their personal differences, both drivers are focused on their upcoming season opener in Bahrain. They have worked on themselves during the off-season and are prepared to put on a show on the track.