Esteban Ocon says his target is to remain in Formula 1 but there are no certainties, as he explains how his departure from Alpine was discussed over a number of months.
The Frenchman will leave Alpine at the end of this season after five years with the team, with the announcement of the split coming following a collision with teammate Pierre Gasly in Monaco. Ocon says that incident was not the catalyst for his departure as discussions have gone on for a long time, but hinted there are no guarantees he has another seat confirmed already for 2025.
“We’ve been talking with the team for several months,” Ocon said. “Alpine is a big group, Renault is a big group, and it’s the kind of team that is not taking decisions on just a single race. We’ve been talking, we’ve agreed mutually to come to an end, basically, at the end of the contract.
“I’ve spent five years inside this team. We had some amazing moments, more tough ones, but five years in terms of Formula 1 world is a long time. I’m excited for the challenge ahead and excited to finish the collaboration on a high, that I’ve been part of for a long time.
“I have nothing to announce yet. I will announce my future in due course, when the right time comes. At the moment, I’m just focused on what’s going to be happening this weekend, and what’s going to be in the next coming races. I think it’s good to be doing some racing, which is the most important thing and what I’m excited about.
“I mean, you never know in Formula 1, what the future can [hold]. But as I said, I’m excited for future challenges. I’ve got 16 more races to do and it’s important to do a good job and coming to the races stay motivated as I’ve always been, and enjoy what I do. For sure my target is to be in Formula 1, that is very clear.”
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Ocon insists his impending departure and the fallout from the collision in Monaco will not have a negative impact on the rest of this season with Alpine.
“It doesn’t, because we’ve come to speak all together with the team. I talked with Bruno [Famin, team principal], I was at the factory for normal preparation before the weekend, but also had a chat with Bruno.
“We were just talking about a lot of things –there was no awkward moment, there is no damage between our relationships altogether. Everything has been discussed and we move on.
“What I want to do is try to do the best I can for the rest of the season, finish on a high with the team, with the story that we started. I think that’s very important for me. I’ve joined the team in 2020 and I’ve always [been] trying to do the best that I could and for the team, so that will remain.”