Ocon: Jeddah F1 battle with team-mate Alonso “like a go-kart race”

Ocon started two places ahead of Alonso in fifth, but having dropped behind Mercedes' George Russell, he had to fend off the Spaniard, the pair trading places several times in the early laps of the race.

Alonso eventually gained the upper hand, while Ocon lost a place to Valtteri Bottas, who along with Kevin Magnussen, had been able to join the fight as the Alpine drivers held each other up.

Alonso eventually retired with a yet-to-be determined loss of drive, while Ocon held on to sixth place after a late battle with Lando Norris that was resolved only on the final straight.

Alpine had made it clear to its drivers that as in Bahrain they would be allowed to race each other.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Ocon when asked about his eventful evening.

“Good racing with Lando, good racing with Fernando, with Valtteri. It's a completely different philosophy now racing with these cars, it's pretty much like a go-kart race.

“And fighting with Fernando very closely, we were very close in all sessions this weekend, in qualifying, there was less than a tenth separating us.

"So it's going to be close all year. But that's pushing the team performance up.”

Regarding their personal battle allowing rivals to catch up, Ocon said: “I think of course when you fight, same as in go-karts, you lose time, it's normal.

“But at the time in a one-stop race, track position is quite important. And we were allowed to race by the team. It's always a privilege to race Fernando. It makes me smile.

“He's great on race craft, we know that, he's extremely fast. And the legend himself, fighting, it's always a privilege. It's good that we race so close. And it's good that we can push the team forward.

“I think he didn't lose any speed also from when he was