Esteban Ocon admitted he regrets Fernando Alonso’s departure from Alpine F1 and also mentioned the name of the driver he would like to see as his partner in 2023, and this is not Oscar Piastri.
Esteban Ocon: “The news that Fernando is moving to Aston Martin came as a surprise to me, as well as to the entire paddock. It is a shame that he is leaving, because we work very well together, there is a great atmosphere in the team.
It’s a bit sad because we have made progress, the team is moving in the right direction and this work will of course continue until the end of the year. But on the one hand Fernando won’t be that far next year and we will continue to fight with him on the championship circuits, on the other hand our team will of course miss him.”
Okon emphasized that he did not know how the story with Oscar Piastri, who refused to continue working with Alpine, would develop: “I do not know what is happening there, what his contract situation is and what is behind all this. I am not discussing this with the team, but I have full confidence in our leaders, Laurent Rossi and Otmar Szafnauer, who are facing difficult times. They must be answering hundreds of phone calls from riders who are ready to apply for this place, but I don’t care about any of this.
Personally, I would like Mick Schumacher to be my partner, that’s for sure. He is my good friend, but our leaders do not take such considerations into account, so let them decide for themselves and as they please.
Our goal this weekend is to fully focus on achieving high results. I can say about myself that I have regained my strength, I am well prepared for the rest of the season, for the remaining nine races, which will be held in just 12 weeks.”
Esteban made his Formula 1 debut exactly six years ago at Spa, where he first started the Grand Prix as part of the Manor team, and remembers this day well: “I was even thinner then than now – since then. I have a few kilos, which is good!And of course I have changed a lot in these six years, now I know and can do a lot more, and when I return to this track I always remember my debut.
But now that we come to Spa, of course we are all thinking about Antoine Hubert and this weekend we will dedicate the race to him.”
Source: F1 News
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