Esteban Ocon has been invited to return to Alpine's Enstone factory to bid farewell to the team, following his early departure to join Haas.
The 28-year-old French driver, who had been with Alpine for five years, was replaced before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale, apparently as part of a deal allowing him to test for Haas earlier this week. Ocon expressed disappointment over the abrupt ending.
"It was the team's decision," Ocon told Canal Plus. "It's a bit of a sad ending because after five years of collaboration with the team, I wanted to thank all the people who worked with me at Viry and at Enstone."
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has now extended an invitation to Ocon to visit the factory.
"Esteban is welcome at Enstone, if he wishes," Oakes said. "He can have a guard of honour if he likes. I am absolutely serious."
However, Oakes contested Ocon's claim that the team alone made the decision for him to skip the final race of the season.
"I think at the end of the day he had an option, and he chose to start earlier with his new team," Oakes said. "That's fine, I'm ok with that. We've exchanged messages, and to be honest, he's welcome to come to Enstone if he wants to, as was the plan."
Oakes praised Ocon's contributions to the team during his tenure.
"I've been very honest about the fact that he's played a big role in the team, not only in previous years but also in my short time here. I have a lot of admiration for him, but I also think we have to do what's right for us.
"And having Jack (Doohan) in the car earlier is a big advantage for next year," Oakes added.
Alpine finished the 2024 season on a much stronger note than it started, partly credited to the arrival of executive advisor Flavio Briatore in June, followed by Oakes.
"There is a new approach to F1 at Alpine," Briatore told Auto Hebdo. "It is impressive to see how much the results change the perception, both internally and with the outside world.
"When I arrived, we only had two points. And little by little, we worked and improved the car, taking a significant step forward. Before, everyone was a little scattered—it was not really a team," the 74-year-old explained.
"Today, it is much better. We will perhaps have to hire a few people, especially experienced people, but really in a very marginal way." body check tags ::
