James Vowles Has ‘No Interest’ in Esteban Ocon as Lack of Team Play Could Leave an Open Seat for 2025

Esteban Ocon is fast-tracking his exit from F1. The Grand Prix winner, a classic example of the rags to riches story, is upsetting various F1 stakeholders with his aggressiveness. His Monaco GP crash with teammate Pierre Gasly, for which he accepted complete blame, has impacted his F1 future. The Frenchman, who Mercedes TP Toto Wolff was endorsing for a 2025 Williams drive, has put off James Vowles with his selfishness.

In Lap 1 of the Monaco GP, Ocon lunged down the inside of Gasly’s A524 at the Portier Turn before the tunnel. The collision caused suspension damage to Ocon’s car, ruling him out of the race. Not only that, the Frenchman even received a 5-place grid penalty for his next race. Alpine Team Principal Bruno Famin sternly reprimanded him, threatening “consequences” for nearly crushing their only chance at points in 2024.

The 27-year-old driver, who was planning to exit the struggling Enstone outfit at year-end, now faces the ugly reality of getting axed. Furthermore, his chances at a Williams seat for 2025 have also been crushed. Reports say that Team Principal James Vowles now has ‘no interest’ in considering Ocon to replace Logan Sargeant in 2025.

Ocon could be in no man’s land, come 2025. This would leave Alpine and Williams with empty seats, helping F2 and F3 drivers grab the opportunity with both hands. Moreover, Bruno Famin already looks impatient to promote their reserve driver.

Bruno Famin preps Jack Doohan to replace Esteban Ocon after Monaco

After Esteban Ocon’s overambitious move, both Pierre Gasly and Bruno Famin were furious. Gasly mentioned how “disappointed” he was with his seemingly feud-loving teammate. According to Sky F1 reporter Ted Kravitz, Famin was “shouting” at Ocon in their motorhome. Speaking on his ‘Ted’s Notebook’ podcast, Kravitz also revealed spotting Famin having a private chat with reserve Jack Doohan.

“I will say that I saw Famin on the roof of the Alpine pit building,” the pit-lane reporter said, adding, “He called Jack Doohan, the reserve driver, over for a chat. They had a chat. I don’t know what the chat was about. And then Jack Doohan left and went down the stairs.” Doohan completed his F2 championship in 2023, finishing third.

Along with reserve driver duties, the Australian also co-hosts F1TV’s post-race show with Laura Winter. If Alpine strikes gold with their 2025 car, or even in 2026 with the new regulations, Ocon would face the biggest regret of his career. Additionally, Doohan will get his best opportunity, don’t you think? Let us know in the comments.