This weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was expected to be the final Formula 1 race for Esteban Ocon with Alpine. Earlier this season the driver announced that he would be leaving the team at the end of the year, and driving for Haas in 2025, making the season finale his last race with Alpine.
Esteban Ocon offers emotional farewell to Alpine F1
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon shared an emotional goodbye to the team ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
However, on Monday Alpine announced that Ocon would be replaced by Jack Doohan for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so that Ocon could drive for Haas in the post-season testing session at Yas Marina following the race. That decision meant that Ocon was moved to share his goodbye message to the team on social media, along with sharing images of his final Alpine crash helmet, a nod to his win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
“I would like to first and foremost thank the mechanics and engineers across all functions at the track, Enstone, and Viry-Châtillon who have raced alongside me these last five seasons. We have shared so much together, and I am proud to call many of you my friends,” wrote Ocon.
“I leave Alpine/Renault with great memories and the pride of having been the driver who brought the team’s best results since its return to the sport, climbing the top two steps of the podium in Bahrain, Hungary, and Brazil,” added the driver. “It was also an honour to play a part in finishing P4 in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022. I know how much all of those moments meant for everybody and feeling that sense of achievement and joy alongside the team is what I am taking away with me.”
Ocon then made it clear that this was not how he wanted his time at Alpine to conclude.
“To the hundreds of hard-working men and women at Enstone and Viry, I apologise that I will not be able come see you in person and have a proper farewell. As you know, the plan was always to race one last time this weekend and personally say goodbye to you all next week. I was looking forward to both of those things.
“This is not how I wanted things to end.”
You can see the entire message, along with his special crash helmet for the race, here:
Alpine hopes to lock down sixth place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship this weekend, as they hold a five-point lead over Haas in that fight.
But they will partly rely on Doohan’s debut to make that happen.
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