Esteban Ocon relieved Fernando Alonso's not at Alpine anymore: 'It's good he's going'

Esteban Ocon claims he was doing all the grunt work at Alpine, while Fernando Alonso was expected to contribute very little to the Formula 1 team.

The Frenchman was inferring that Alonso did not pull his weight with team duties towards the end of his two years there, leaving Ocon to take up the slack.

The Alpine duo enjoyed a harmonious relationship - certainly in their first season - each highlighting the teamwork involved as Ocon won a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021, helped by some stubborn defensive driving from Alonso to hold up the fast-closing Lewis Hamilton.

But, not for the first time in Alonso's career, tension developed and the two drivers were rebuked by their team bosses Otmar Szafnauer and Laurent Rossi after colliding during the sprint at the 2022 Sao Paulo GP.

Aston Martin-bound Alonso said after the incident that "it has been a little bit like this [with Ocon] all year long" and that "one more race and it's over, finally" while also referring to his colleague sarcastically as "our friend".

Disappointing comments

Ocon responded by saying there had been "no need" for some of the double former World Champion's remarks - and has now gone further by claiming Alonso had left him to shoulder more than his share of the drivers' responsibilities within the team.

"Of course, I was disappointed by what he said in the press and not internally," said Ocon during an interview with Ouest France.

"We didn't have any discussions about it. I will keep the respect I have for him. It's good that he's going to Aston Martin and that we are going our separate ways.

"Honestly, the work was 98% on my back and 2% on his. I was overworked. I was doing all the development in the simulator, the marketing trips..."

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