After a collision between Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly during the opening lap of the Monaco Grand Prix, the Alpine F1 team is considering sidelining Ocon for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix as a disciplinary measure.
The collision between Ocon and Gasly was a team-internal incident, with Ocon initially receiving a time penalty that was later converted to a grid penalty for the next race in Canada. Alpine's team director, Bruno Famin, mentioned the significant damage to Ocon's car and expressed his dissatisfaction. He warned of "consequences" for Ocon's actions, with the possibility of dropping him for the next race being considered.
Ocon's aggressive overtaking attempt on Gasly led to his own retirement and jeopardized Gasly's race, impacting Alpine's best race position this year. Ocon received a 10-second penalty for causing the collision.
Gasly claimed there were pre-race instructions for the drivers, with the faster car getting priority on strategy. He said he was shocked by Ocon's attempted move and wants to have discussions with him about the incident.
Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, could make a return to Formula 1 next season as a reserve driver for Mercedes or potentially replace Ocon at Alpine for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ocon's future with Alpine and possibly in F1 is uncertain. He admitted his fault on social media and publicly apologized for his actions, taking full responsibility, but may still face being replaced for the next race.
The Monaco Grand Prix started with a major collision involving Magnussen, Perez, and Hülkenberg, resulting in a red flag. Charles Leclerc went on to win the race.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur celebrated Charles Leclerc's first F1 victory at the Monaco Grand Prix by diving in the harbor.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Newsweek, Sky News, WWOS Nine, Yahoo Autos, Aftonbladet Blog, Champion UA, Mirror, Eurosport, Sports.ru, Crash, Express, Mundo Deportivo, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Motorsport