Alpine editorial: twenty words to say goodbye to Esteban Ocon

Alpine posted a brief 20-word tweet accompanied by a smiley emoji to announce Esteban Ocon's departure, which is not much for a driver who has contributed so much to the team.

“Thank you, Esteban. We have shared some special moments together and wish you all the best for the future.” Twenty words, a little heart emoji, and nothing else: not even a dedicated infographic, just a photo of Esteban Ocon standing in front of a blue, white, and red flag. It seems a little sparse, doesn't it?

Many fans feel the same way. And the message is in English, which seems strange when paying tribute to a French driver who races for a French team alongside another French teammate. It's strange not to pay tribute to him in the language of Molière. Admittedly, English is now the lingua franca of the sport, but other teams still publish messages in Spanish, Portuguese, or other languages. Beyond the question of language, it's these twenty words that seem insulting. How can we ignore the man who gave Alpine-Renault its only victory in the modern era? How can we ignore the driver who gave his all for the brand, its staff, and its fans? We could go on listing his achievements, but we'll stop there. Once hailed as a king, the Norman quickly turned into the ugly duckling. Does the arrival of a certain new figure have something to do with it? We'll let you be the judge.

Letting a talented driver go just so he can test for another team seems borderline. Alpine has never been so direct before. When Fernando Alonso was there, the management wasn't so rigid—remember his “El Plan” livery that caused such a stir? There's no jealousy here, but it does raise questions about how drivers are treated. Will Pierre Gasly suffer the same fate when Oliver Oakes and Flavio Briatore, always ready to plot, tire of him? As French fans, we hope not. Whether you like him or not, Ocon didn't deserve this. Yet, with the 2026 engine program, the dismissal of Esteban Ocon—and, let's not forget, Bruno Famin—is perplexing. Alpine's statement was simply: “Thank you, Esteban. We have shared some great moments together and we wish you the best of luck for the future.” We agree, it's almost cruel.