Palmer: The worst thing in racing is a collision with your teammate

Former Formula 1 driver, official website expert Jolyon Palmer commented on the clash of Alpine drivers in Monaco…

The worst thing that can happen while racing is a collision with your partner. It takes a lot of effort, money and time to prepare two cars for the Grand Prix, every employee gives the best of themselves so that the racers earn points on Sunday.

For Alpine, after a difficult start to the season, every point counts. Pierre Gasly started tenth and Esteban Ocon eleventh in Sunday’s race, but the good work in qualifying was almost completely undone on the first lap.

Ocon’s attack on Portier resulted in contact between the cars, causing Ocon to retire and Gasly’s car to be damaged. Sports director Bruno Famen was furious.

Overtaking in Monaco is very difficult, track position is crucial and both Alpine drivers knew that whoever was in front at the end of the first lap would have priority as the race progressed. Teams use this tactic in Monaco because it is easier to defend a position with two cars than with one.

In the case of Window’s attack, there are two aspects to take into account.

Forgetting that it was a teammate, the overtaking attempt seemed quite reasonable and in my opinion did not deserve a penalty from the stewards.

The pushed-in window was slightly blocked as Gasly started to close the entrance, but managed to slow down and control the situation at the top, ahead of his teammate. In most cases overtaking would be complete at this point, but in Monaco such a maneuver deserves applause.

The first round in Monaco is the best chance to make things right when the cars are in a close group and everyone has cold tires. If Gasly had not been Ocon’s partner, I think everyone would have appreciated his brave attempt, which failed because there was a barrier nearby.

I wonder if Gasly could have given up position and kept both cars in the race. If he had stepped back and left the room, there’s a chance he could have completed the turn without contact.

But contact occurred, Ocon withdrew and Gasly somehow managed to return to the pit lane unscathed.

Overtaking in Monaco is almost impossible. In my opinion, such efforts should not be stopped by unnecessary fines. Penalties should of course be imposed in extreme circumstances, but in normal attempts the stewards could apply more lenient measures.

Ocon could have defended himself against the stewards, but in my opinion not against the team. And I understand why Bruno Famen and Gasly were furious.

If Gasly had played for another team, such a move would have been more understandable, but Pierre is Ocon’s teammate and it was an important day for Alpine. It was a great opportunity to earn a lot of points in what was almost Alpine’s home race. Fortunately for Alpine, Gasly was able to continue the race and earn the team a point.

Ocon’s action was selfish, he put himself first and ignored the team’s efforts. His risky attempt allowed both cars to get out.

Ocon has to be careful, he has a reputation for breaking the rules. For every racer, his partner is his main rival. This is the only driver who has the same car as you, which is why comparing teammates is always so interesting. But you must have mutual respect and work together for the good of the team.

Ocon has had problems with teammates throughout his career. When he worked with Sergio Perez at Force India, they collided several times, costing the team points. At Alpine he had a conflict with Alonso before Fernando left the team.

The difficult past of Esteban and Pierre was known, but so far the team managed to keep the situation under control, although in the third race together both cars ended up in the barriers. But the Monaco attack was the most aggressive of all.

When I drove with Kevin Magnussen for Renault, he attacked me like that a few times, but we never had an argument. Alan Permain was the team’s sporting director at the time and he was very vocal about what he thought.

Now that Permain is no longer with the Enstone team, Bruno Famen has taken control of the drivers and has been emotionally critical of Ocon. Despite some rumors, I’m sure Esteban will be back in the car in Montreal, but he’s certainly heard some harsh criticism.

I wouldn’t be surprised if both drivers stay with Alpine next year, but they need to work together in 2024 – not only to give the team the best possible result in the Constructors’ Championship, but also to show others how good they can be.