Esteban Ocon is leaving Alpine at the end of the season after a troubled start to the year in Formula 1. On June 3, it was announced that Ocon's contract, which is expiring, will not be renewed.
What happened?
Ocon has scored one point this season and crashed into teammate Pierre Gasly's car in the last race, the Monaco Grand Prix. He will have a five-place grid penalty at the Canadian Grand Prix this week.
Why it matters for Esteban Ocon
The 27-year-old Ocon has complained of receiving abuse on social media since the incident in Monaco. He expressed his gratitude to the team for the memorable times they had together.
What comes next?
Ocon will announce his plans very soon, but for now, his full focus is on delivering on track for Alpine and having a successful remainder of the season. Alpine said its drivers for next year will be announced in due course.
Ocon made his F1 debut in 2016 with Manor and joined the then-Renault team for 2020. His sole career win came at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021 for Alpine.
Alpine has hit a major setback this year with a car that has often been well off the pace. French teammates Ocon and Gasly have one 10th-place finish each this year, leaving Alpine ninth of the 10 teams on just two points.
Ocon's exit for 2025 follows a clearout in design and management roles at Alpine, with several top staff departing over the last year. He had said on Friday that he will race in Canada following speculation he could be dropped.
Ocon spoke of the toll that abusive comments had taken, saying he was deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity he received online. He added that the misinformed statements and gross distortions about his ability to work with a team were inaccurate, hurtful, and damaging.
Esteban Ocon will look to finish the season strong despite the challenges he has faced. His future plans will be announced soon, and fans will be eager to see what's next for the French driver.