Esteban Ocon had to change his front wing after colliding with Charles Leclerc during the Miami Sprint race. The incident occurred as Ocon was exiting his garage in the pitlane. Commentators described the incident as outrageous. While Leclerc’s SF-24 sustained minimal damage and he was able to make it to the grid, Ocon’s race was already compromised as he was starting from P13. The stewards reviewed the incident and imposed a ten-second penalty on Ocon.
During the 19-lap sprint race, Ocon served the penalty through a pitstop. This was not the ideal start for the Alpine driver, especially considering the team’s current position at the bottom of the chart. The Sprint race typically presents an opportunity to score points, but Ocon’s penalty made it the worst possible outcome for him.
Ocon’s contract with Alpine is set to expire at the end of this season. Given Alpine’s poor performance, Ocon is exploring other options for 2025. According to F1insider, Audi has shown interest in signing Ocon. While Audi has already signed another driver for the next season, they have made an offer to Ocon as well. However, Ocon has been taking his time to make a decision, prompting the team to consider other options.
Previously, Ocon was linked with Mercedes due to his close relationship with the team. Audi is now the second team to be associated with the French driver this season. It will be intriguing to see what the future holds for Ocon considering all the factors discussed.