Esteban Ocon has confirmed that discussions regarding his future in Formula 1 are already underway. With his current contract, as well as that of his compatriot Pierre Gasly, set to expire amidst Alpine’s current downturn in performance and management upheaval, Ocon has pointed out his continued representation under Toto Wolff, hinting at the potential vacancy of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes seat for the 2025 season.
Moreover, Ocon revealed that dialogues with teams beyond Alpine have commenced. “It is an important year in my career and I want to do the best I can,” Ocon shared on the High Performance podcast. “I don’t want any regrets at the end of the year. There’s going to be a lot of work on and outside the track. There’s going to be chats obviously because I am in the last year of my contract.”
Acknowledging the initiation of these talks, Ocon noted, “Yeah, for sure they have started already but that’s normal for everyone. I am still not a big fan of these chats but I am in a different place than I was in 2019,” he reflected on his earlier temporary exit from the grid after losing his Racing Point seat before returning with Renault. “I am a race winner, a podium finisher. We have a lot of arguments in my favour.”
Despite Ocon’s advancements, the Mercedes short-list appears to include candidates ranked ahead of him. Consequently, a transition to Sauber, which is set to evolve into Audi’s works team by 2026, emerges as a viable alternative.
Amid Alpine’s challenges, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher commented on the situation, highlighting both Alpine’s struggles and the expectations for Sauber’s transformation under Audi. “We can see how poorly the Renault subsidiary Alpine is performing,” Schumacher stated to Sport1. “But Sauber, the future Audi team, is hardly better. That’s why it’s important for Andi Seidl to sweep through the factory in Switzerland with an iron broom.”
