The French duo never made a mystery of the close bond they had had when they were children trying their luck in karting, unfortunately turned sour as they began to fight for some important trophies and titles.
Both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon ended up achieving their childhood dream to race in Formula 1, and the friends turned enemies will partner up in 2023 for Alpine, making up the first full French lineup for the team since Alain Prost’s days in 1982.
However, whoever was expecting a rocky situation to handle for the French team will be disappointed, as, in spite of their shared, rough past, the Frenchmen have both stated that their relationship right now is “really good”.
PitDebrief was at the launch of the A523, Alpine’s new challenger, where Pierre Gasly was asked about how he is dealing with his new teammate:
“It’s been good, really good I think. Obviously we have spent more time together in the past two months than what we have spent over the last eight or ten years.”
Gasly finds that communication with Ocon has improved now that they’re older and wiser, which will prove to be a key factor in having a successful year with Alpine and getting the best they both can from their new car.
“It was very important and I’m pleased with the way that we have been and that anything has been with Esteban, I think that we have both grown up as people now.
“We are much more mature, and aware of the responsibilities that we have representing a team like Alpine and with the Renault group behind us. I’ve got no doubt that we will be able to work very closely, and work really well to push the team forward, and it’s going to benefit all of us.
“We have got to work well together and we will push the team forward, performing the best we can,” he concluded, ready to officially test his new car in Bahrain.
His teammate Esteban Ocon agrees on the fact that there’s good collaboration between the two of them, and stresses the importance that a good relationship with all part of the team will have in order to confirm last year’s great achievement of P4 in the constructors’standings.
“There is no stories, I’m sorry to disappoint you. There is not going to be any headlines,” he said when asked on the topic.
“We are never going to be best friends, but the important for us is to keep the flow going together, which creates debate, creates solutions with the team, and that’s how it has always been in motorsport forever, you know?
“The fact that drivers work together, notify an issue, the way to work and then the team comes up with some kind of revolution, and that’s what we need to try and get from our team to be able to fight for the front,” he concluded.
Photo: Alpine F1 Team
