“This is not how I wanted things to end” Esteban Ocon says goodbye to Alpine

Following his unceremonious exit from Alpine, the Haas-bound Esteban Ocon has taken to social media where his disappointment has been made crystal clear. The 28-year-old and Alpine’s increasingly fractious relationship came to a crunching end at the Qatar Grand Prix, where he crashed out on the first corner following a collision with Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and Williams’ Franco Colapinto.

With Ocon’s bags all but packed already, the French team subsequently wasted no time in finally cutting ties with the Frenchman, announcing that Aussie Jack Doohan would be taking his seat for the season finale in Abu Dhabi. 

Having spent the past five years together, a moving montage or touching message from the team reflecting on the good times they’d enjoyed with Ocon might have been expected. But, no. Alpine opted instead to keep its message short and sweet, waving goodbye to the one-time Grand Prix winner with a single paragraph. 

“The team would like to thank Esteban for his time at the team and he will remain part of the team’s history achieving the first win for Alpine in Formula 1. We wish Esteban the best for the future,” the statement read.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and Ocon took to Instagram where he took a vastly different approach to his blunt departure. 

“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,” he wrote.

“We have shared so much together, and I am proud to call many of you my friends. 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. 

“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.”

Amidst the largely touching sentiment of his message, an unapologetic Ocon admitted that 2024 had not gone to plan, saying “It has not been an easy year on track for the team and the second part of the season has been especially difficult. For various reasons. 

“I do not regret a…