The Alpine team is pulling out all the stops for the season finale in Abu Dhabi. It’s not Esteban Ocon, but Jack Doohan who will be on the grid alongside Pierre Gasly. A surprising choice, considering Ocon was originally supposed to stay with Alpine until the end of the season. Why did the team decide to end their collaboration prematurely?
Premature Farewell for Ocon
The decision to release Ocon a race early is tied to his impending move to Haas. Ocon will be driving for the American team in 2025, and testing their car after the end of the season in Abu Dhabi is crucial. As he was formally under contract with Alpine until the end of the season, permission was needed for him to participate in this test. Instead of a compromise – such as wearing neutral white overalls due to potential conflicting sponsors – Alpine chose a definitive break. This gives Ocon the space to fully focus on his future at Haas, while Alpine already looks ahead to 2025 with Doohan.
Tensions within the Team
Although Esteban Ocon‘s departure is presented professionally, there seem to have been tensions behind the scenes. The recent races have been challenging for the Frenchman. Apart from an impressive second place in Brazil, he often remained in the shadow of his teammate, Gasly. Ocon particularly faced issues in Las Vegas, suspecting something was wrong with his car. Alpine conducted a thorough investigation but found no anomalies in the data. This led to a feeling that the relationship between Ocon and the team had reached its natural conclusion.
Opportunity for Doohan
Ocon’s replacement provides Doohan with a unique opportunity. The Australian will make his Formula 1 debut during a full race weekend. Although Doohan was already scheduled for the first free practice, he will now have three practices, a qualification, and the race to gain experience. Doohan is familiar with the Yas Marina Circuit: he won the feature race in Formula 2 here in 2023. This experience will help him quickly adapt to the Alpine vehicle. Scoring points during his debut will be a challenge, but without significant pressure, he can fully focus on his development.
