Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon discuss the incident that ended their friendship.
Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon (via IMAGO) opened up about how a karting incident shattered their childhood bond. The two French drivers, hailing from Normandy, were close friends during their early years and competed against each other in lower-tier and regional races. However, their relationship took a turn for the worse following a heated disagreement on the track.
During the recent season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, Gasly shared his side of the story, revealing that he had a remarkable race that day, finishing fourth while Ocon secured third place on the final lap. Gasly managed to overtake Esteban in the last corner after an intense side-by-side battle. From that moment onwards, their friendship began to deteriorate. On the other hand, Ocon provided a different perspective on the incident.
Gasly later confirmed that he was disqualified from the race due to his aggressive maneuver. Despite his efforts to mend their friendship, Ocon has chosen not to reconcile. Nevertheless, Gasly and Ocon, both representing Alpine, have maintained a professional relationship. They have achieved podium finishes and their performances have been among the few highlights for Alpine in the 2023 season.
Alpine, one of the Formula 1 teams participating in data analysis ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, faces uncertainty regarding their position in the F1 hierarchy despite potential improvements with the A524. The team expects a challenging start to the 2024 season, considering their power unit shortage from the previous year. To enhance their understanding of the race conditions, the team is diligently working.
During the three-day testing period, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly completed a total of 334 laps, indicating minimal reliability issues. Gasly encountered a red flag and a loose wheel, causing him to miss some testing time, but overall, the A524 has proven to be reliable. Both drivers achieved better lap times compared to the previous season: Ocon set a personal best on Thursday with a time of 1:33.079, while Gasly set a new record on the final day of pre-season testing with a time of 1:32.149.
Alpine is hopeful for a stable and dependable season following the challenges faced in 2023. Their primary focus is on improving the A524 and avoiding power shortages experienced in the previous year. Despite a difficult start, the improved lap times and reliability during this week’s testing could be indicative of positive outcomes in the future.
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