Hearts Melt Around F1 World As Fan-Favorite Alpine Duo Unite Off the Track for Special Occasion

The dictionary definition of a bromance as a close, friendly and platonic relationship between two men. Ask an F1 fan for the definition, they’ll more likely than not, say it is what Alpine driver Esteban Ocon and Haas’ Mick Schumacher have. The two drivers have been close friends for years now.

As things stand, Alpine are looking for a replacement for Fernando Alonso, who is headed to Aston Martin. In numerous media sessions and interviews, Ocon has been candid about wanting to race with Schumacher. He has said, “What I would like is for Mick to race with me, that is clear cause he is my good friend, but that is not going into the bosses’ ear.”

“I’ll let them decide. It’s not my decision. I would be very happy to work with Mick, a friend of mine. Team will decide, not me.”

He further goes on to explain why Mick is a good choice for the team to make. “I think he has shown talents in the in the junior categories as well. He’s been very fast.”

“Sometimes in Formula 1, it’s not easy to perform with a car that’s a bit on the back foot – I had that when I started in F1.”

“He’s a great guy and he could perform very well if he drove in a competitive car, and at the moment the Alpine is competitive. So, you know, that’s just my words. I don’t have the decision to take, but the team knows that this would be my preference” he says.

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The decision for the team lies in the hands of Otmar Szafnauer. Nyck de Vries looks like the most likely to take that seat but Schumacher remains an outside shout.

Social Media shows love to the Alpine and Haas drivers

Recently a photo of the Frenchman and the German has been doing the rounds on the internet. The picture is from Ocon’s birthday celebration. The picture has garnered a lot of likes on social media platforms. It has also added fuel to the rumors of Schumacher joining Ocon at Alpine.

After seeing the wholesome image, fans couldn’t keep themselves from expressing their feelings on social media. 

Schumacher’s move to Alpine is nowhere close to being a done deal. As per reports, de Vries and Gasly figure much higher on Szafnauer’s list for potential replacements. Fans, however, have been worried with regard to the latter’s chances of coming into Alpine.

One would expect an all-French team with the talents of the two drivers would be a great success. However, Ocon and Gasly have a frigid relationship.

Gasly described their relationship as “I started to beat him [at karting], and he didn’t like it so we’re not friends anymore”

“We’ve spent a lot of time together, but it got to a point where he got a bit too upset, and it wasn’t so nice anymore. So, we kind of stopped [socializing]”

“We can spend time together; we respect each other, it doesn’t go further than that.”

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Their relationship further took a hit when both drivers collided in the first lap of the French GP in 2018.

Ocon has subtly but clearly made his preferences known to the management at Alpine. The final call ultimately lies with the boss, Otmar Szafnauer, and will be a crucial decision for the Romanian to make. A lot will depend on the team composition if they intend to fight for the top 3 spots on the table next season onwards.