Alpine Formula 1 team principal Bruno Famin has expressed strong disapproval of Esteban Ocon’s involvement in the collision with Pierre Gasly during the Monaco Grand Prix. This incident has resulted in Ocon receiving a grid penalty.
During the original race start, Ocon made a risky move on the inside of Gasly at Portier on the opening lap, causing Gasly’s Alpine to be squeezed against the outside barrier. This led to Ocon going airborne and both cars sustaining damage.
Before the red flag was shown, the Alpine drivers made contact, resulting in Ocon being unable to participate in the restart due to significant damage to the gearbox. Famin clarified that a gearbox change would be necessary.
While the leniency typically shown by Formula 1 on the first lap may have played a role in no action being taken against other incidents that caused the red flag, Ocon was not exempt from blame. It was determined that Ocon’s overtaking attempt from too far back was the sole cause of the collision.
According to the officials, Ocon was fully responsible for the incident. Since he was unable to serve the penalty during the race, it will now be converted into a five-place grid drop, which Ocon will serve in Canada.
Famin’s comments during a broadcast on French channel Canal+ made it evident that he shared a similar perspective on the incident. He described the incident as unfortunate and deemed Ocon’s attack as completely inappropriate. Famin also indicated that there would be swift and significant consequences.
In response to the penalty decision, Ocon acknowledged the need to be cautious when racing against a teammate but emphasized that mistakes are a natural outcome of pushing oneself to the limit in order to score points.
On social media, Ocon took a more apologetic stance, accepting responsibility for the incident and expressing his apologies to the team. He hoped for a well-deserved points finish for the team.