The relationship between Esteban Ocon and his team, Alpine, has deteriorated even further.
Recently dropped by the Renault-operated squad for the 2025 season, Ocon expressed on Sunday that his car is significantly heavier than that of his teammate, Pierre Gasly.
"We have had a problem with weight, on my side, for a while," he reported to Canal Plus in Montreal, marking his first race since Alpine announced they would part ways after 2024.
"So we have to try to manage that as best we can in the next races. It's been a few races now since my car has been much heavier than Pierre's," Ocon elaborated.
"We will rotate throughout the year, but it's been the case for me now since Miami. When all these things add up, it's difficult to get past Q1," he continued.
"I'm not going to go into detail, but it's a few kilos."
However, Gasly, who appears likely to stay with the team next year, suggested that Ocon might be overstating the discrepancy.
"Yeah, I was lighter at the start of the year and then obviously we swap parts, so I'm a kilo lighter or something," he mentioned. "It's still very close."
Further adding to the strain, Ocon criticized the team for ordering him to allow Gasly to overtake him during Sunday's Canadian GP because of a low battery, only to fail to revert their positions when it became apparent Gasly could not overtake Daniel Ricciardo.
"I should have finished ninth at the end," Ocon asserted.
"I played my part in respecting team instructions, as I always have. I did my job, the team didn't do theirs. Unfortunately, this is a trend that will continue until the end of the year. It's not correct," he lamented.
"I take all the risks and I should have been ninth with 2 points. I don't know where the call came from, but I did my part of the job."
Asked if he believes Alpine is deliberately disadvantaging him because he's set to leave, Ocon stated, "I give them the benefit of the doubt."
Despite the tension, team boss Bruno Famin forgave Ocon's heated reaction in Montreal.
"He had a little bit of a hot reaction, which is normal," he remarked. "I understand, with the adrenaline of the race, and I'm sure everything will calm down very quickly. I have no worries about that."
"I am very happy with the work done by the drivers, both Esteban and Pierre," Famin added.
Amidst swirling rumors, Ocon has been linked to a likely 2025 deal with Haas.
"We will see," Ocon responded when queried about the rumor. "I will announce something when the timing is right. It's not the right time now."
"It's just a shame that it has to end like this. Being the good guy in Formula 1 doesn't always pay off and that bothers me a lot."
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