Esteban Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of this year's Formula 1 season.
The move will bring an end to a five-year relationship, with the Frenchman joining the team back in 2020. The 27-year-old went on to achieve his and Alpine’s first Grand Prix win when he triumphed at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, while he also picked up two further podiums.
However, Ocon's future beyond this season has been uncertain in recent months, with Alpine boss Bruno Famin considering his options for their 2025 driver line-up. And the French manufacturer have now decided not to renew his contract.
Ocon said: “It’s been a significant period of my life to be racing at this team in Formula 1. While I’ve been here for five years as a full-time racing driver, my professional career started at Enstone back when I was a teenager, so it will always be a special place for me.
"We have had some great moments together, some tough moments as well, and I am certainly grateful to everyone at the team for these memorable times. I will announce my plans very soon but, in the meantime, my full focus is on delivering on track for this team and having a successful remainder of the season.”
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Famin, the team principal, added: “We would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win.
"We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results. We wish Esteban the very best for the next chapter of his driving career when that moment comes.”
Last week, Ocon insisted he will race at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend but revealed he has been saddened by the “hurtful and damaging” reaction he has faced following a collision with Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Alpine team-mates Ocon and Pierre Gasly have a strained relationship (Getty Images)Ocon, 27, will face a five-place grid penalty in Montreal after being deemed at fault for a crash with his team-mate Gasly that saw both Alpines forced out of last Sunday’s race on the opening lap.
Alpine team principal Famin took a dim view of the incident and said there would be “consequences”, but that will apparently not include Ocon losing his drive in Canada.
In a lengthy post on social media, Ocon wrote: “Much has been said in the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix. While I have received many messages of support, I have been deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity that I have received online regarding my character, my driving, and my career.
“Thanks to the hard work, support, and sacrifices of many people, I’ve raced in over 140 Grands Prix so far since my debut in 2016. I have always been a tough competitor, and, like most drivers, I’ve had my share of incidents…
“Of course, I have made honest mistakes. We are not robots; we are athletes pushing ourselves to the limit every day to achieve our dreams of winning races. F1 is a sport where emotions run high, and passions run deep.
“I see and feel this every weekend at the track and on social media… the good and the bad. But the misinformed statements and gross distortions that I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work with a team have been inaccurate, hurtful, and damaging.”
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