Formula 1 News: Gasly Scores First Point of the Season Amidst Alpine Teammate Drama in Monaco
In a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix, Alpine secured its best qualifying result of the season, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon starting 10th and 11th respectively. However, the team’s promising start was marred by a teammate collision that forced Ocon to retire.
A puncture for Carlos Sainz at the start of the race saw the Alpine duo promoted to 9th and 10th, but their joy was short-lived. Ocon attempted a bold move on Gasly at Portier, resulting in their wheels interlocking and launching Ocon’s car into the air. The Frenchman was forced to retire with suspension and gearbox damage.
Gasly, meanwhile, suffered a punctured hard tire but benefited from the subsequent red flag, which allowed him to switch to medium rubber and nurse it to the finish. He scored his first point of the season in an otherwise uneventful race.
“It was very unnecessary; you should never have such a situation, especially between teammates,” he said. “Just sad. Disappointed with the situation.”
Gasly emphasized that the team had clear instructions before the race, with the trailing car supposed to help the leading car throughout the race.
“That was the strategy. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. We definitely need to speak because we can’t afford [it] – especially in a season like that.”
The Frenchman believed that Ocon’s actions jeopardized a potentially better result for Alpine, saying:
“At that time, we’re P9 and P10, so there’s absolutely no reason to risk getting both cars out. We came a couple of centimeters from having both cars in the wall.”
When asked if Ocon’s aggressiveness was driven by his desire to secure a Formula 1 seat for 2025, Gasly diplomatically responded:
“I don’t want to answer that, [he’s] a professional driver. You just know what to do and what not to do – even more with your teammate.”
Ocon took to Twitter to apologize for the incident, for which he received a five-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix.
“Today’s incident was my fault, the gap was too small in the end and I apologize to the team on this one. Hoping for a deserved points-finish for the team today.”
Formula 1 fans will certainly be keeping a close eye on the Alpine teammates’ relationship as they head into the next race. With the Formula 1 standings still tight, every point counts, and the team will be hoping to put this drama behind them and focus on securing more points in the coming races.
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