Pierre Gasly reveals details about his rivalry with former friend and teammate Esteban Ocon. The Frenchmen frequently visited each other during their youth, until a ‘turning point in one of the races’ ended their friendship. However, Gasly believes that they will eventually reconcile: ‘In ten, twenty years’ time’.
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon grew up together, but today they may well be each other’s biggest rivals. The two Frenchmen drove as teammates for Alpine for two years in 2023 and 2024, and it didn’t always go well. For instance, during the 2024 Monaco GP, Ocon collided with Gasly as he tried to overtake his then teammate entering the tunnel.
Turning Point
“We could make a full documentary about this,” Gasly tells F1.com, when his relationship with Ocon comes up. “Almost every week we spent Wednesdays and weekends together; he came to me and I went to him. We had a strong bond. Unfortunately, there was a turning point in one of the races. After that, the friendship ended in a dramatic way, which is hard to explain.”
According to Gasly, the rivalry between the two drivers has also brought a lot of good. “Because the rivalry lifted us above our potential,” says the Frenchman, who believes that he will eventually reconcile with his former teammate. “I have no doubt that in ten, twenty years we will be able to discuss things in a different way.”
