Esteban Ocon affords emotional farewell to Alpine F1

This weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was anticipated to be the ultimate Method 1 race for Esteban Ocon with Alpine. Earlier this season the driving force introduced that he can be leaving the workforce on the finish of the 12 months, and driving for Haas in 2025, making the season finale his final race with Alpine.

Nonetheless, on Monday Alpine introduced that Ocon would get replaced by Jack Doohan for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in order that Ocon might drive for Haas within the post-season testing session at Yas Marina following the race. That call meant that Ocon was moved to share his goodbye message to the workforce on social media, together with sharing photos of his closing Alpine crash helmet, a nod to his win on the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

“I want to in the beginning thank the mechanics and engineers throughout all capabilities on the observe, Enstone, and Viry-Châtillon who’ve raced alongside me these final 5 seasons. We’ve got shared a lot collectively, and I’m proud to name a lot of you my pals,” wrote Ocon.

“I depart Alpine/Renault with nice reminiscences and the pleasure of getting been the driving force who introduced the workforce’s finest outcomes since its return to the game, climbing the highest two steps of the rostrum in Bahrain, Hungary, and Brazil,” added the driving force. “It was additionally an honour to play a component in ending P4 within the Constructors’ Championship in 2022. I understand how a lot all of these moments meant for everyone and feeling that sense of feat and pleasure alongside the workforce is what I’m taking away with me.”

Ocon then made it clear that this was not how he wished his time at Alpine to conclude.

“To the lots of of hard-working women and men at Enstone and Viry, I apologise that I will be unable come see you in individual and have a correct farewell. As you recognize, the plan was at all times to race one final time this weekend and personally say goodbye to you all subsequent week. I used to be trying ahead to each of these issues.

“This isn’t how I wished issues to finish.”

You may see the whole message, alongside along with his particular crash helmet for the race, right here:

Alpine hopes to lock down sixth place within the F1 Constructors’ Championship this weekend, as they maintain a five-point lead over Haas in that struggle.

However they’ll partly depend on Doohan’s debut to make that occur.