Watch: Esteban Ocon hugs Jack Doohan in the F1 Imola GP paddock as the two former Alpine drivers meet
Esteban Ocon was spotted giving out-of-action Alpine driver Jack Doohan a hug in the paddock, as the two met during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Saturday. The Frenchman was replaced by the rookie Doohan at the Enstone-based team for 2025, and has since been replaced again.
Jack Doohan replaced Esteban Ocon at last season's final race at Abu Dhabi. Now, Doohan has been replaced with Franco Colapinto after just six races, and the former has assumed the role of reserve driver at the French team again.
With Doohan being Alpine's reserve driver since 2023, and part of the junior program from even before then, he had seemigly developed a good bond with Ocon, and even credited him with being one of his mentors in the sport. After the Aussie driver's sacking at Alpine, he met up with Ocon for the first time at the Imola GP on Saturday, and the pair shared a hug in the paddock.
Esteban Ocon has joined Haas for 2025, and the American team has outperformed Alpine so far this season. The North Carolina headquartered team is currently sitting in P6 in the constructors' championship with 20 points, while Alpine are down in P9 with just seven points this season.
Franco Colapinto is the third driver to drive for the French team so far this season, amid their 'rotational' driver strategy, which saw Doohan originally signing just a six-race contract, and now Colapinto signing a five-race deal. But after having announced this earlier in May, Alpine boss Flavio Briatore has now backtracked on the team's statement, suggesting that the young Argentine will get more than five races to prove himself at the team.
Esteban Ocon shares disappointment after Q1 exit at the Imola GP qualifying
Esteban Ocon shared his disappointment after he was knocked out in Q1 during the Emilia-Romagna GP qualifying on Saturday. The Frenchman will start Sunday's race from P18, while his Haas teammate Ollie Bearman will be starting from P19, following a lap deletion.
Speaking after the qualifying session on Saturday at Imola, Ocon shared his frustration with his car, the VF-25.
"It’s been a frustrating weekend as a whole. We’ve done our homework in the best way possible, planned all the scenarios, and we were supposed to have a decent weekend here," said Ocon (via Luciano Yoma on X).
Esteban Ocon has had a decent start to life at Haas, having already claimed two points finishes in the first six races, as the 28-year-old sits P9 in the drivers' standings. The driver's best result came during round 2 of the season at the Chinese Grand Prix, when he managed to finish the race in an impressive fifth position.