F1 star takes swipe at former team after slamming staff

An F1 star has issued a telling statement on the 'environment' within one of his former teams in the wake of his abrupt exit.

Esteban Ocon spent five seasons at Alpine before it was announced that he was to leave the squad at the end of 2024.

The Frenchman had expected to see out the remainder of the campaign before making the move to rivals Haas, but was left stunned after he was replaced by Jack Doohan for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - a decision which left a bitter taste in his mouth.

And while it's not been all smooth sailing on the track this season, Ocon insists he is thoroughly enjoying working under his new employers.

"Compared to my previous experience, it's a healthy environment," he told Motorsport.com.

"As I said, no one's hiding behind anything. If we don't do something right, we talk about it and hope not to do it again.

"And we talk about it straight away at the end of the race.

"And that's good, because if you don't talk about it - which is what I've experienced before - then you [are] going to do it again. That's the main thing."

Ocon reveals 'crazy' lack of motivation

The American outfit occupy ninth spot in the constructors' championship, with Ocon contributing 27 of their 35 points.

And although the team would have hoped to be higher up in the standings heading in to the final 10 races of the season, Ocon is confident the desire to improve remains high - a quality he hasn't always experienced elsewhere.

"This team is incredibly motivated," he continued. "It can sound crazy, but I've seen some people not motivated in the past, even working in the Formula 1 paddock. That's probably the worst thing.

"As a driver like me, who puts his heart and sweat into the work, to do everything perfect before I get to the track, when you turn up and you see somebody looking at his check-in on Monday, it's quite tough. And I've seen that in the past."

Next on the schedule for Ocon is the Dutch GP, which will take place at Zandvoort this weekend.

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