P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alpine has made Esteban Ocon’s early exit from its Formula 1 line-up official with a brief statement confirming that Jack Doohan will take his place for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Alpine has officially announced Esteban Ocon’s early exit from the Formula 1 line-up for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and confirmed Jack Doohan as his replacement. Ocon’s deteriorating relationship with Alpine and poor on-track performance led to this decision, with Doohan stepping in a race earlier than planned. The move was connected to Ocon being allowed to test for Haas post-season, while still under contract with Alpine until the year’s end. Alpine mentioned this permission in their announcement of the driver swap, emphasizing Ocon’s release to test for Haas. The decision was in the works between Alpine and Ocon’s management at Mercedes, with team principal Oliver Oakes indicating that both Ocon’s form and a natural evolution played a role in the early departure. Despite the close battle with Haas in the constructors’ championship, Alpine did not see a risk of Ocon aiding Haas and Ocon himself expressed respect for his current and future teams while remaining focused on giving his best performance, even if driving for Haas next year.
