Esteban Ocon has reportedly been dropped by Alpine for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – with F1 rookie Jack Doohan replacing him.
Ocon, who has been a driver for the French team since the 2020 season, joins Haas next year and was expected to see out his five years at Alpine next week.
Yet after crashing out on lap one of the Qatar GP, Ocon’s time at Alpine has been stopped a race early with Doohan – who will race for Alpine alongside Pierre Gasly in 2025 – stepping in for the final race of the season.
Speculation is rife that Ocon will take part in the post-season test for Haas at the Yas Marina Circuit after a request from the driver to Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore.
While that request is believed to have been granted, as a result, Alpine have opted to send their current reserve driver Doohan into the cockpit a race early.
Sky F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz said after the race in Qatar: “I can confirm now that things have ended completely for Esteban Ocon in terms of him being an Alpine driver.
“Those few hundred metres were his last as an Alpine driver. He will be replaced by Jack Doohan who’s got that seat for next year at next week’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“This isn’t an immediate sacking or anything like this. This is a plea bargain. I understand the situation from the team is that Ocon was very keen to do the test, the post-season test on the Tuesday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, for his new team, Haas.
“And he went to Flavio Briatore, the man who makes the decisions at Alpine. He said ‘Flavio, can I do the test?
“And Flavio was like ‘what’s in it for me?’ It seems that they’ve reached a deal, maybe influenced by what’s happened at the first corner, maybe not and Flavio’s deal is that you can do the test for Haas if you don’t race in Abu Dhabi for Alpine because I would like to give Doohan a running start at next year’s Alpine employment.
“That is the deal that has been struck.”
