The Alpine F1 2023 drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, both say they want a strong working relationship together as team mates, although admitting that they “never going to be best friends”.
Of course, they have to say that ahead of the start of the season. They are highly paid professionals, driving for an important constructor, and sponsored by multinationals. Intentions are good, although, am sure, both are very determined to “destroy” the other one.
The two drivers know each other since childhood, when they raced together in karting in Normandy, however according to Gasly, their relationship deteriorated when “I started to beat him and he didn’t like it, so we’re not friends anymore.” I suspect, both keep the real reasons of their mutual dislike for themselves.
Esteban Ocon, who has a reputation of being a very hard racer, even with his teammates – we saw him against Pérez and Alonso – says he will continue to race aggressively against new team mate Pierre Gasly in 2023. He explains: “I mean, I’m a racing driver. I’m competing to beat everyone, that’s how I’ve been racing my whole life, and that’s how I succeeded and won titles in the past.” We know he means it, why not after all, and he’ll definitely continue to do so in 2023, as he has swiftly to prove, to his team mate and to his team, that he’s the better one. That’s the name of the game. Beat your team mate or game over.
Pierre Gasly faces the same equation. He’s the new driver at Alpine, he quickly has to make his mark, show his team mate he’s no push-over, and prove to the management of the team, that in him they have made the right choice. He can’t afford to wait for two or three races to do so, he has to perform and beat his team mate as soon as possible. No other choice.
So, these two determined French drivers, in a French team, who dislike each other, who both have one Grand Prix victory, are going to race each other, you can be sure: hard, very hard, maybe too hard. Expect fireworks, expect controversies. First round of the confrontation, that will last all season, this week-end in Bahrein.
