Formula One driver Esteban Ocon is on the Alpine F1 racing team, and at the Monaco Grand Prix, he made a costly mistake crashing into teammate Pierre Gasly on the opening lap, which has led to much rancor directed at the Frenchman.
Seemingly, he tried to pass Gasly, where there wasn't an opening. And as a result, Ocon's own car went airborne and was damaged by the impact, making him unable to finish the race.
Gasly was understandably frustrated, as he was heard on the team's radio saying, "What did he do?! What did he do? Why did he try to attack me? Oh my gosh."
27-year-old Ocon took full responsibility after the unfortunate occurrence, as he made multiple posts on X (formerly known as Twitter).
"Today's incident was my fault, the gap was too small in the end and I apologise to the team on this one. Hoping for a deserved points-finish for the team today."
Gasly was able to recover from the accident, as he still finished the race in 10th place, which did indeed score Alpine a point.
However, his own team principal, aka the Alpine boss, Bruno Famin told the media, "It's sad to see this kind of incident... It's exactly what we didn't want to see. Esteban's attack was totally out of circumstances."
There were even hints at repercussions for Ocon, who could be benched in future races, "We're going to draw the consequences. We're going to make a tough decision."
"If we were fighting for a podium finish at the end of the race, why not, and still... But there, on the first lap, at Le Portier, frankly, it wasn't the place to make an attack, leaving zero room for his teammate."
That is to say, ever since the crash, Ocon has been at the forefront of scrutiny from viewers of the sport.
Much has been said in the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix. While I have received many messages of support, I have been deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity that I have received online regarding my character, my driving, and my career.
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) May 31, 2024
With this in mind Ocon is known for cutting it close during races, as he has had many incidents in the past where he was willing to risk a crash in order to make a pass or get ahead.
"As teammates, we would often start races very close to each other which in some cases meant some tough battles on track, and sometimes contact."
There is no reward without risk in Formula One – and race starts are intense, even more so in Monaco where the opening lap can dictate your finishing result.
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) May 31, 2024
All in all, Ocon knows he messed up, and is asking for fans to not berate him based on his past actions, which was a result of an unintentional mistake.
I see and feel this every weekend at the track and on social media… the good and the bad. But the misinformed statements and gross distortions that I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work with a team have been inaccurate, hurtful, and damaging.
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) May 31, 2024
Ocon looks to move on from this, as he is evidently in the lineup to race at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix next weekend, June 9.
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