F1 star Pierre Gasly reveals 'dramatic' end to friendship with former team-mate

Verstappen, Gasly, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star reveals 'dramatic' end to friendship with former team-mate

Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon were team-mates at Alpine

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 22 December 2025 13:56

F1 star Pierre Gasly has spoken out about his relationship with a former team-mate, saying the pair's friendship 'ended dramatically'.

Gasly and fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon were team-mates at Alpine in 2023 and 2024, having spent long periods in their junior racing days going through the pathway at the same time.

Both drivers are 29 years of age, and Gasly has admitted that they were great friends for most of their lives, before their time at Alpine put a stop to that friendship.

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There was some uncertainty during their time with the Enstone outfit as to who was the number one driver, while Alpine were experiencing a torrid time of it as a team in 2024, although a double podium for Ocon and Gasly in Brazil did buoy the team up to sixth in the constructors' championship.

By the time that they had achieved that result, however, it had long been decided that Ocon would be leaving the outfit, and he signed a deal with Haas for 2025 and beyond.

The position of the two drivers as team-mates had become untenable since a dramatic incident at the Monaco GP earlier in 2024. On lap one, Ocon tried to send it down the inside of Gasly into Portier, causing damage to both Alpines and leading to team principal Bruno Famin warning there would be 'consequences' for Ocon.

Shortly after, it was confirmed that Ocon would not race with Alpine in 2025, although they later said that the Monaco incident hadn't had a bearing on that decision.

Now, Gasly has revealed how the pair's relationship changed while they were team-mates. He was speaking on F1's new feature, Off the Grid.

"We could make a whole documentary about this," Gasly said. "We spent almost every week on Wednesdays and weekends together; he came to me and I went to him. We had a strong bond.

"Unfortunately, there was a turning point during one of the races. After that, the friendship ended dramatically, which is difficult to explain.

"Because the rivalry pushed us beyond our potential," continued the Frenchman, who believes his friendship with his former teammate will eventually be restored. "I have no doubt that in ten, twenty years we'll be able to talk things out and discuss things differently."

Where are Gasly and Ocon now?

Gasly is still with Alpine, in a much more harmonious team-mate relationship with youngster Franco Colapinto.

However, the Frenchman endured the worst full season of his career points-wise in 2025, only picking up 22 as Alpine finished rock bottom of the constructors' championship.

Ocon, meanwhile, had a solid first season at Haas, finishing 14th in the drivers' championship - above Gasly - as the team finished eighth in the constructors' championship.

He did finish three points behind rookie team-mate Oliver Bearman, however, and both Gasly and Ocon will be sincerely hoping that their respective teams can improve in 2026, when new regulations come sweeping into the sport.

F1 Pierre Gasly Esteban Ocon