Ocon made a bold overtaking move over Gasly, who was in ninth place at the time, in the first lap of the Monte Carlo race, and advanced towards the inside of the Portier turn, so that the two Alpine cars collided with each other, and the first one retired after his car rose into the air and hit the ground violently.
Gasly criticized his colleague’s behavior and his lack of respect for the team’s orders, stressing that “the car in the back is supposed to help the other in front throughout the race,” while team manager Bruno Famine expressed great anger, declaring his intention to “make a strong decision” in this regard.
The statement sparked rumors that Ocon might be punished by the team by not participating in the next race in Canada.
However, while it is known that Alpine is evaluating several options to deal with the situation, Ocon took to social media to confirm that he will participate in the Canadian Grand Prix and defend himself from the wave of criticism to which he is exposed.
“A lot of things were said after the Monaco Grand Prix,” he wrote. “While I received many messages of support, I was saddened by the amount of abuse and negativity I received online regarding my character, my driving and my career.”
He added: “The false statements and crude distortions I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work with the team are inaccurate, harmful and destructive.”
He continued: “Since my first laps in motorsport, I have dealt with this sport with humility, professionalism and respect. These values have been implanted in me since my childhood.”
He added: “As riders, we sometimes go to races close to each other, which sometimes means some tough battles and perhaps contact. Mistakes are indeed made, we are not machines, we are athletes who push ourselves to the limits to achieve our dreams of winning races.” .