P1 with Matt and Tommy - Will Alpine drop Esteban Ocon for the Canadian GP?

Episode Date: May 29, 2024

After Esteban Ocon crashed into his teammate in Monaco, team boss Bruno Famin has said they will need to make a "tough decision". But does that mean they'll drop him for the upcoming Canadian GP? And could this signal the beginning of the end of Ocon's time at Alpine? You can sign up to our Patreon here! You'll get access to exclusive episodes you won't hear anywhere else, every P1 episode ad-free, full driver interview videos, early access to merch, tickets & more!Follow us on socials! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everybody and welcome to the P1 podcast with Matt and Tommy. And I feel like it's a very serious announcement, a serious podcast ahead of us here, where Alpine Bruno Faman has said there will be serious consequences for Esteban Ocon. Will that be a, you know, you can't have sweeties in the motorhome or will it be something more? That's what we're going to discuss today, isn't it, Tom Bellingham? It sure is. It's pretty wild. To be honest, when it first got announced, I say announced, when the quotes kind of came out, I was like, nah.

And then as it's gone on, I'm kind of like, no, maybe this has more legs than we think. Ooh. So look, I've got my opinion. You've got yours. So let's dive into what Faman said initially. He said, Estaband's attack was completely out of line. It's exactly what we didn't want to see. And there will be consequences.

we are going to make a tough decision on the first lap at the Portier it was not the place to make a move leaving no room for his teammate. Now the big talking point what we're going to start with is is this an actual threat is Esteban Okon going to get benched

I'm going to drop me with my opinion first no no they're not going to drop Ocon there is no way for many reasons that Alpine are going to drop Esteban Ocon Ocon I think has outqualified Gazley 6-2 this season, I believe, which is quite a damning stat, I suppose, if you're a Gasly fan. But also, look, Alpine are in big trouble. Okay, they have scored very little

points this year. They are fighting at the bottom of the constructors. Benching one of your best drivers to put in, what, Jack Dewan or Mick Schumacher potentially or whatever is just, just makes no sense to me. And then you look and think contractually. Does it have in Ocon's contract, if you make contact with your teammate on lap one, we can bench you. I highly doubt it, which means that will most likely be

some kind of breach of contract as well, which will cost millions. So why would Alpine do that over, yes, an incident, but we've seen much worse than Formula One, and it's not like they're fighting for the World Championship either. So that's kind of my top-line thoughts. It's no chance.

I my opinion after the race was no chance now I'm kind of like 65% 70% sure it's not going to happen but there's still but but it is more there's more of me that thinks like it's not absolutely outrageous I think it's an incredibly bad idea just for the record. Like you, Alpine are already in trouble. They've kind of had this mentality a lot of the season where the drivers have been quite good on the radio and being like, come on guys, we can do this, yeah,

after qualifying, you know, like 15th or whatever because they were so diabolical at the start of the year. But it is also Alpine, and they are a bit of a chaotic team and they make crazy switches. They've gone through so many drivers and personnel and stuff recently that I don't think it is completely out of the question that Alpine could make a snap decision,

particularly based on my thoughts and also hearing like rumours of like Ocon's position in the team and his future there anyway, which sounds like, it's game over. Because even before I heard that, I thought this is probably going to mean it's game over for Ocon anyway.

But what it's sounding like is potentially that that relationship has broken down already with Ocon and Alpine and he was looking elsewhere before this incident even happened. And his driving suggests that as well. It's not like O'Con is willing

to play the team game really. I know that he has had previous with other teammates as well. and that has just generally been his driving style, but also it would suggest that perhaps Alpine is not his place after 2024. What I will say, though, is that Alpine have put themselves in another bit of hot water in the sense of Bruno Faman, who's clearly been enraged and then talking to media after the race or during the race, I don't know exactly when these quotes were taken,

their image has now sort of been put on the line. here because you cannot say something like that and then just be like, oh, actually, no, it's all good. No, we figured it out. All good. He said there will be consequences. That is one short of you're fired, basically, to the public. This is not behind closed doors. This is not him giving him a serious talking to in his driver room. This is to everybody. So if Alpine then just brush it under the carpet, they will look like fools. I think the bigger, the bigger quote is not just there will be consequences, which I think is the quote that's been out.

It's the we are going to make a tough decision. Like that, that's not, that's not, there'll be consequences in sit down naughty boy. Like we're having to make a decision on something. Like you say, that that does make it sound like they've gone, yeah, we are going to bench him. Well, I think it's more probably translated to. They have to make a difficult decision of do we bench him or not. But either or, it's still, yeah, they've put themselves in this situation now by Bruno Fahman saying this. He could have just been like, I'm going to deal with this.

We'll talk to my driver, which is what a lot of team principles do. But I think that the way Fahman has reacted to this shows that it's not just this isolated incident, but the fact he is probably panicking at how bad Alpine are doing. Look at Drive to Survive, what we saw in the latest scene. and how they were losing their minds about being fifth in the constructors. I can only imagine what it's going like or what it is like to be there at the moment. So we'll go to the first question, which is from flow underscore circuit. What's this the worst move we've seen between the two of them?

Or is the benching threat a threat because it's happened too many times? Worst move? May, probably. Look, they've not been teammates for that. long so we don't have a catalogue of moves that have happened between them. But in terms of the agreement, the understanding going into the race and then the breaking of that trust between Ocon and Gassley and the fact that they've clearly agreed that they will hold position, probably yes, I would say so. Yeah, I think so. I've seen a lot of people online, maybe like

fans of O'Con or kind of defending him, which I think, I think, I think, think it is a very extreme reaction from, sorry, a very extreme reaction from, what was that? I am joining Alpine. It's a very extreme reaction the way they've done it because after the incident in Australia where the two crashed, it was kind of, I don't, I don't remember like, this is absolutely outrageous. And we talked about Gasley's unsafe rejoin and they didn't to go, what are they, what are they doing? Like, there will be consequences, all this kind of stuff. And I think a lot of people have bought, like, Ocon supporters have gone, well, when

Gazley crashes into Ocon, you just go, oh, we'll sort it out. And then when O'Con crashes into Gasly, we have this whole, like, massive thing and, oh, we're going to bench him and all this kind of stuff. I think the difference between the two incidents is one was in the final lap of a chaotic Grand Prix that was like, you know, loads of people went off. I'm not saying it was right what Gasly did. I think it was an unsafe rejoin. He was very unlucky, he was very lucky not to get more penalty points and a ban.

But Ocon's, the fact that they've had a discussion beforehand of hold your positions, whoever's ahead, just that that's the kind of, that's the situation we're going with here. for then Ocon to make that move is probably what's annoyed them so much. And going into Ocon and his career himself, I would actually argue, and a lot of people would go, well, if he is about to be fired, or he is being dropped next year, and Ocon's got nothing to lose and he doesn't owe anything to the team,

then he's going to go for it, I'd argue that's even more stupid, because Esteban O'Con has this reputation of being, not great with teammates. And that is just another mark. However much you can say that he is a great driver and I believe he is a great driver as well. Stuff like that.

He needs to shake that image that he's not, because he's going to make himself unemployable by any team because they're going to go, well, we don't want you because you've had beef with Perez, you've had beef with Alonzo, now you've crushed into Gazley. why would we take a risk? Because he is a very good driver,

but people will go, well, no matter how good you are, we don't want to hire you because we can't trust you with teammates. So I think it damages his career massively to make such an audacious move on your teammate, even if he is like, well, screw you Alpine, where the relationship's broken down and I'm going for it, I don't care. It's not the attitude to have. I don't think I'd go as far as to say that Ocon has or is becoming unemployable because you have said, yeah, he's a great driver and he is. He's a race winner.

He can perform in a car. And when he was teammates with Alonzo, they were pretty level at times. So Ocon, I think, will still be desirable for teams. I just think those teams should his career end at Alpine, or sorry, his current stint, end at Alpine at the end of this year. he'll probably have to take a step down to a Williams or whatever that might actually be open. But that is a thing, right? Like if he'd not done this, maybe if you like wants that Mercedes drive, for example, Mercedes now, they're not going to go, you know, can you think of a more, Oconn and Russell?

Yeah, that's going to go well, isn't it? No chance. No chance. So in that sense, you know, you're not going to make your way at the. ladder are you doing doing things like that. Yeah. And it basically hurts his options, is more what I'm saying. He's going to have to look at your Hasses and Williams rather than hoping that people

go, well, Ockon's a really quick drive. He was third in Monaco last year. Arguably, you know, underrated in terms of pace. Let's go to the question around who replaces Ocon if he does get benched. And would this be the end of Ocon at Alpine? But if he does get benched, he does get benched. to be for one race, I still don't think this is happening

because you look at the options and no disrespect meant to Jack Duhin or to Mick Schumacher. But both of those are a downgrade to having Esteban O'Conn in the car. For Alpine, that I've already mentioned, are in dire straits, trying, they've just about managed to get a car

that might be able to get a point if things go well. Mick Schumacher, maybe he needs another stint in Formula One and he will become a great driver. But he needs that time. It's very obvious from when he was at Hasse. He wasn't ready.

That's why he lost his seat. He crashed a lot. Jack Dewan, again, I'm trying not to be horrible here, but his CV does not shout... He's not set the world in, has he? I am a Charles LeClaire, George Russell, whoever.

It hasn't... It's similar to like Joe in a lot of ways and how his CV wasn't glowing. And it took him a little while, and then he showed great promise. But Alpine, if they're going to bench Ocon for one race, how are they going to expect either of those drivers to finish anything other than 18th?

It's one of those things where, like, I know this is a theoretical world. And again, like, it's no disrespect to Jack Dewin. But if they were still in that situation where it was like Alonzo and Ocon and they have Piastri waiting in the wings and everyone wanted Piastri, didn't they? And they were in such a difficult situation

because they really wanted to promote him, but they had nowhere for him to go. Then maybe it's an option. But Esteban Okon, for all the, you know, the team player side of his career and the fact that he has had this incident with Gassley, he has been really good this season, and he's kept his head up

when he's driving essentially at the start of the season, the worst car on the grid, and has just got on with it and delivered some great results. And we said so many times throughout the start of this year that when Alpines were qualifying 17th and 18th and they were separated by 1,000th of a second, we were going, that just shows that Gassely and Ockon are two great drivers getting everything out of a rubbish car,

which is probably the worst car on the grid, and they're getting a good thing out of it. So it's not like doing his... you know, say Ocon is dropped at the end of the year, which I think is now very likely going to happen. Would they even, would it be like do and just jump straight in? Or are they, I don't think it would be. I think it would be a Sonoda or?

Yeah, Sonoda might go over. There are other drivers that are not going to have a seat. Botas, for example. You know, there are drivers that are going to be available. So it is a risk to promote doing it doesn't seem like the better option But what I will say is I think the bench thing I think it's more likely that Ocon is dropped completely than getting benched for a race I don't see how that works that they can just say no you're not you're not

You're gonna have a naughty corner some time yeah I don't I don't know how that would would necessarily work without it being, you know, like a race ban or whatever. It's like we're waiting for the FIA to bench a driver for a race for a race ban. It's actually Alpine that decide to become the FIA. They're taking into their own hands. Yeah. Love that. FIA Alpine. There you go. Question.

Heels lady. Will any other team take Esteban if he really is benched because of his anti-team player personality at races? I don't know if they're asking if Estaban will. go to another team for one race or what's going on with that particular question. But I think we've kind of discussed that he is employable,

but perhaps not to the absolute top top teams. But if he's benched, he's not going to go anywhere else. It's not like he can just swap teams or someone will be like, yeah, come on. Come on the Williams garage. Logan, sit out for a race mate.

Let's see what Esteban's like. No, it would be Esteban at home, probably filing a lawsuit. Yeah, definitely. if he is benched no other team are going to take him on if he has dropped to the end of the season I think he

which he I'm now 99.9% sure he's not going to be at Alpine next year yeah he's going to be looking at Hass Williams maybe if science doesn't go to stake he's looking at there he's not looking at

it's depressing yeah but then you can argue the way alpine are going it is a sideways step now it's not even a backward step yes very true because uh it's like back it's like back it's like a backward step in like reputation but in terms of actual grid and the way alpine are and do we think alpine are going to you know i i only see alpine i can't see alpine breaking into that formula a any time soon. So it's not really a downgrade. Just another Formula B team.

Okay, before we finish up, Tommy, you have the poll results about whether Ocon will be benched or not, mate. So please hit us with the results that you've definitely got loaded up and I'm just going to fill until your eyes stop searching your screen. No, I've got it.

So we had 20,000 votes on our community. So thank you all for voting. 47% think they're going to keep him, which is quite low, actually. 37% think he's going to get benched, and 16% think they will fire him completely. So more people think that he's gone than he's not. Yeah. That's crazy.

That is crazy. I wonder if we did the poll again after we've labelled out all the reasons, whether that might change. Actually, no, fair enough, yeah, there would be a lawsuit, wouldn't there? Yeah, because I've looked at the comments, but, yeah, contracts are going to be such a thing here because it's not it's not even like they're wanting to get rid of a driver get someone in and they can make their move. Ocon's not going to want to go mid-season when he's got no other option to drive because even if they are willing to... Where he gets binned off by a team.

So I'm sure he won't want to have to happen again. Exactly. Yeah, definitely. Okay, then that pretty much sums it up. Will Ocon be benched? I don't think so. Tommy is slightly more open to the idea, as in doesn't want it to happen, but maybe. Could see it.

Let's know in the comments what you think and whether you think that he will be benched or not. And we'll find out by this in about a week's time, just over, as whether he goes to the press conference or if Jack Duman's there in a knock-on mask or something. What are your final thoughts, Tommy? Final thoughts are, God, I hope the Canadian Grand Prix is good because it's more pantomime Formula One drive. armor and not anything on track, isn't it? It's going to be good, mate, because it's going to be back-to-back Charlercliques victories. Is it?

Okay. Yes. Yeah, Ferrari's going to be lit around there. I can feel it in my bones already. Nice. And I felt it my bones for Monaco, but I felt it my bones for the last three years. So it'll come good eventually. Thank you, everybody for watching and listening.

We'll see you very soon for another podcast. Bye! Bye! P1 is a Stack production and part of the ACAST Created Network.