Esteban Ocon to leave Alpine F1 team at the end of the season

1 of 4 |

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon of France arrives before the start of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

2 of 4 |

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

3 of 4 |

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during the third free practice ahead of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

4 of 4 |

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon of France waves as he walks through pits during qualifying session for the Italy’s Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at the Dino and Enzo Ferrari racetrack in Imola, Italy, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, Pool)

ENSTONE, England (AP) — Esteban Ocon is leaving Alpine at the end of the season after a troubled start to the year in Formula 1 for him and the French-owned team.

Ocon is the only driver to win a race for Alpine since it rebranded from Renault at the end of 2020 but he has scored one point this season and crashed into teammate Pierre Gasly’s car in the last race, the Monaco Grand Prix.

Ocon will have a five-place grid penalty at the Canadian Grand Prix this week as a result and has complained of receiving abuse on social media since the incident in Monaco.

“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,” the 27-year-old Ocon said in a team statement.

His contract is expiring at the end of the season.

“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,” Ocon said.

Alpine said its drivers for next year “will be announced in due course.”

Ocon made his F1 debut in 2016 with Manor and joined the then-Renault team for 2020. His sole career win came at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021 for Alpine after a crash in wet conditions took out much of the field.

Not PARSE.LY: Esteban Ocon

Alpine to use Mercedes power units in F1 from 2026

Struggling F1 team Alpine will pull the plug on Renault as its engine provider

Alpine hoped to establish itself among F1’s leading teams but has hit a major setback this year with a car that has often been well off the pace.

French teammates Ocon and Gasly have one 10th-place finish each this year, leaving Alpine ninth of the 10 teams on just two points, ahead of only Sauber.

Ocon’s exit for 2025 follows a clearout in design and management roles at Alpine, with several top staff departing over the last year.

Ocon had said on Friday that he will race in Canada following speculation he could be dropped after the crash with Gasly in Monaco or that his relationship with the team was under strain. He also spoke of the toll that abusive comments had taken.

“While I have received many messages of support, I have been deeply saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity I have received online regarding my character, my driving and my career,” he wrote in a statement.

He added that “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.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing