OCON RE-SIGNS FOR THREE YEARS

French Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon has signed a three-year contract extension with Alpine to remain with the manufacturer until at least the end of 2024, this means that Aussie Oscar Piastri will have to wait until at least 2023 to get on the grid.

Piastri, an Alpine Junior driver is currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Prema Racing, after winning the FIA Formula 3 series last year.

With Ocon now under contract until 2024 and Fernando Alonso until the end of next year, Piastri will have to wait at least 12 more months to make his way onto the F1 grid with Alpine.

The 20-year-old Victorian currently sits second in the second-tier series, five points behind his much more experienced Alpine academy college Guanyu Zhou.

Ocon joined the outfit at the start of 2020 when it was known as Renault, after a slow start he found his feet, and scored his maiden F1 podium at the penultimate round of the season in Bahrain.

After another Aussie Daniel Ricciardo departed the team at the end of last season, two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso returned after a two-year hiatus.

Ocon currently sits 12^th in the Championship, one point behind Alonso heading into the French Grand Prix this weekend.

The team is delighted to re-sign Ocon and is confident that he can take them to the next level.

“We are very proud to retain Esteban as part of the Alpine family,” said Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi. “Since returning to the team in 2020, Esteban has grown in confidence and stature to deliver consistently good results and help develop the car with the team.

“Despite his young age (24), he is very experienced in Formula 1 and he’s on a positive trajectory in both his maturity and ability behind the wheel. He is a strong asset for us now, and also going forward as we meet the challenge of the new regulations.

“We have every confidence in Esteban to help drive the team and the brand to the next level and meet its long-term objectives. Esteban is an asset for us beyond F1 as he is deeply involved in the Alpine global project.

“Thanks to his personality and values, Esteban is naturally a perfect ambassador of Alpine. For now, we look forward to continuing the 2021 campaign at our home Grand Prix in France and doing the best possible job at every remaining race weekend.”

Ocon is incredibly pleased to secure his future with the team and is optimistic of moving further up the grid.

“I’m delighted to continue with the team beyond this year and it’s a fantastic feeling to secure my future with Alpine,” Ocon said.

“We’ve been progressing well together since I joined the team and I aim to continue that journey going forward.

“There are great challenges ahead of us, especially with the new regulations in 2022. I’m sure we can hit our targets by working hard together and continuing the story. I often think back to the Sakhir Grand Prix last year with the podium, and it motivates me to create more special memories like that.

“I’m really looking forward to the next chapter but, for now, we’re very much focused on this season and taking each race as it comes.”