Esteban Ocon felt disappointed during the Canadian Grand Prix when his team didn’t stick to their agreement. He had given up his position to his teammate Pierre Gasly, hoping Gasly could pass another driver, Daniel Ricciardo.
However, when the plan didn’t work, Ocon expected his position back but didn’t get it. He expressed his frustration after the race, saying, “No, it is unexplainable, that one… I’ve always respected the instructions that I’ve been given, as a driver, and I’ve done that once more. I’m the nice guy!”
Later, it became clear that Gasly needed to pass Ricciardo, who was ahead of them. Ocon was struggling with some energy management issues, which meant he couldn’t keep up the pace. Alpine asked Ocon to let Gasly pass, but Ocon was initially resistant because he wanted assurances that he would get his position back if Gasly couldn’t overtake Ricciardo.
Eventually, Ocon agreed to let Gasly pass but expected his position back at the end of the race. However, that didn’t happen, which made Ocon upset because he felt he had been let down by the team.
Alpine’s team principal, Bruno Famin, explained that such decisions are made for the benefit of the team. He said that although drivers may not always agree with team orders, the team’s interest comes first. Despite the disagreement during the race, Famin believes that the drivers understand the team’s perspective afterward. He emphasized that at Alpine, the team’s goal always takes priority over individual results.
