"I'm going to die of love": Fans swoon over Esteban Ocon's girlfriend's heartfelt gesture for him
F1 fans reacted to Esteban Ocon receiving a wholesome surprise from his girlfriend, Flavy Barla, at home after bagging a podium finish in the 2024 F1 Brazilian GP.
The race in Brazil was quite chaotic due to extreme weather conditions. Rain poured heavily as all F1 drivers tried to keep their cars on track and drive as quickly as possible on a slippery track. Since the qualifying session was also plagued by rain, some top drivers were unable to clock a decent lap to lock the front rows. Esteban Ocon had a surprisingly good qualifying and secured P4 for the race.
In the race, many started falling off as rain continued to pour heavily in Interlagos. Ocon tried his best to keep his car between white lines and continue to push forward. His hard work paid off as he secured the P2 position, only behind defending world champion Max Verstappen. His teammate, Pierre Gasly, also had a massive recovery race as he started from P13 and secured P3.
A week after the race, Ocon posted pictures of him celebrating his podium in Brazil with his French partner. In the pictures, they were seen drinking and having macaroons with each other. Barla decorated the living room with a large picture of Ocon celebrating on the podium and decorated it with fairy lights and candles.
"Came home from Brazil last week to a little surprise," Ocon wrote.
F1 fans' hearts melted after seeing the small yet beautiful surprise planned by Esteban Ocon's girlfriend. While some praised the Frenchman's performance in Brazil, others loved to witness the bond between him and Flavy Barla.
"I'M GOING TO DIE OF LOVE," a fan wrote.
"Well deserved podium bro," another added.
Some fans were quick to notice that the table that was decorated had a few Spider-Man comic books underneath it. This was a clear nod to Ocon's love for fictional superheroes and how he loves their comics and films.
"The spider-man comic book on the second pic," one follower pointed out.
"Awww...but can’t also help notice the Spider-Man comic book under the table glass," another mentioned.
Esteban Ocon expressed his feelings after bagging P2 in the Brazilian GP
After securing second place in the 2024 F1 Brazilian GP, Esteban Ocon expressed his emotions to the media.
Speaking to F1.com, he said that he was still unable to believe that the race was a reality. He smiled when he said that he was able to lead the race in Brazil. He added that he feels elated to be able to fight for the top spots.
"Mate, I don't know if we are in reality right now, or if we are still in a dream! You know, the alarm rang this morning at 4:30 AM and I had no idea that today was going to be such a day. The qualifying was incredible, but today, we were leading the race. We have not been further up than P10 this year. It's been incredible to be able to fight, you know, it feels so good," Ocon said.
This could be Esteban Ocon's last podium with Alpine as he will be leaving the team after the 2024 F1 season and joining Haas F1 team from 2025. He currently stands in 14th place with 23 points in the drivers' championship table.