Esteban Ocon blasts Fernando Alonso: “The work was 98% on my back”

Alonso will drive for Aston Martin next year, meaning Ocon and Pierre Gasly will team up for Alpine in a new-look F1 2023 driver line-up.

Tensions between Alonso and Ocon hit boiling point in Brazil, the penultimate weekend of the season, when team boss Laurent Rossi scolded them for clashing in the sprint race.

“It has been like this all year,” Alonso reacted to making contact with Ocon.

Ocon has now responded: “Of course, I was disappointed by his comments in the press and not internally. 

“We haven't had any discussions about that. I will keep the respect I have for him. 

“It's good that he's going to Aston Martin and we're doing our bit on our own. Honestly, the work was 98 percent on my back and two percent on his. 

“I was overworked. I was the one who did all the development in the simulator, the marketing trips…”

Alonso hinted that Ocon was at fault for three incidents between them in 2022, sarcastically saying: “Sometimes it is very competitive inside a team.”

Rossi, the Alpine CEO, accused their contact in the Sao Paulo sprint race of being “gross misconduct”.

Ocon finished eighth in the F1 standings, Alonso ninth. Alpine impressively came fourth in the constructors’ championship.

Ocon said about whether the French team can improve in 2023: “This is the goal to step up, but the gap is huge between fourth and third place. It will take time and we should not underestimate the other teams.”

Ocon’s new teammate Gasly is a childhood friend - although they have also endured a rocky relationship at times.

“We have known each other very well for several years,” Ocon said.

“The first time he got into a go-kart, it was mine. We rode together on the same circuits, the same competitions. We had a dream: to drive together in F1, we got there. I can't wait to get started.”