Oliver Oakes says Esteban Ocon is free to have his honour at Alpine in the winter before his switch to Haas, as he praises the Frenchman’s contribution.
The end between Ocon and Alpine did not happen the way either hoped for. Even though the Frenchman had a special helmet prepared for the final race in Abu Dhabi GP, he couldn’t use it as after Qatar, they made a quick decision to end terms one race before the official end.
This helped Ocon to start early with Haas in Abu Dhabi Test, while Alpine could field Jack Doohan in Abu Dhabi GP in a win-win for both. But questions were raised about getting a proper send off for the Frenchman after years of service to Renault and Alpine, which included race win and podiums.
When asked, team boss Oakes welcomed Ocon to have his honour at Enstone for one last time before he moves away to Haas. He revealed that they have had messages shared. He also praised the Frenchman for his work done and accolades that they achieved together.
A lot was said about the partnership between Ocon and Pierre Gasly, but Oakes noted that once he arrived, he only saw good professionalism between the two. “Yeah, Esteban can have a guard of honour if he wants, he’s got to come by,” said Oakes to media. “I’m actually serious. People say that [it wasn’t ideal], but I think it’s not really right.
“I think at the end of the day, he had an option, he chose to start with his new team earlier. That’s fine, I’m cool with that. We’ve been texting, and if I’m honest he’s welcome to come to Enstone, if he’d like, like everything was planned. I’ve also been really honest that he’s been a big part of the team, not just in previous years, but even in my short stint.
“I have a lot of admiration for him, but I think also we have to do what’s right for us. And getting Jack in the car earlier, it’s a big advantage when we look to next year. And really, the teams we’re fighting, they’ve all got rookies who have a bit of experience under their belt and, for me, it may seem a little bit harsh, but that isn’t the reason at all.
“It is important to say that since I have been here to go…actually Esteban and Pierre have been brilliant together to me. I know a lot was made in the past, actually I was really surprised how professional they were. Also pushing the team, because you wouldn’t hold it against them, the switching off at the start of the season, credit to them both really,” summed up Oakes.
Here’s Alpine, Esteban Ocon after Abu Dhabi Test
Here’s Alpine pair on keeping Haas behind
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