Inside Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon’s relationship from childhood buddies to bitter F1 feud
F1 stars and former Alpine team-mates Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have endured a relationship like no other from childhood pals to bitter enemies
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have a relationship like no other
Formula 1 stars Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have a relationship like no other after growing up as childhood pals from the same region of France to becoming enemies in a bitter feud.
The former Alpine team-mates’ frosty personal relationship with each other has been no secret throughout both of their respective time in F1. After growing up just 20 minutes away from each other in the same region of Normandy, the drivers were childhood friends, travelling to races together and battling on the track during their early years.
Their incredible journey from pals living just a stone’s throw away in northern France to having the privilege of being two of 20 drivers in the pinnacle of motorsport for nine years was never going to be easy in the make-or-break world of F1.
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However, the two showed that they can be civil as they sat next to each other supporting their beloved PSG in the Champions League clash against Liverpool. TV cameras panned midway through the Parisians’ victory to show the two wearing half-and-half scarves sitting next to each other. Ocon was joined by his girlfriend Flavy Barla, and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was also reportedly sat nearby.
The cracks in their friendship came before their F1 careers in an intense on-track fight during their karting days. Gasly overtook Ocon on the final lap of the race to claim a podium, a manoeuvre for which he was later disqualified. The duo previously opened up about their historic rivalry on Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
Recalling the karting incident in question, Gasly said: “I had a fantastic race that day and on the last lap, I am fourth, Esteban is third. Both side-by-side to the line, and then I just like passed him, just literally in the last corner. The friendship we had, it just went downward from there.”
Ocon had a different version of the incident, adding: “It is true, this is what he did. Overtake on the last lap, but I can tell you that he wasn’t racing the way that he should have done.” Gasly then confirmed he was disqualified from the race for making that manoeuvre.
Pouring more fuel onto the fire, the show’s producers asked Ocon who the better karting driver between them was, to which he replied with a smirk “I have won more titles” before he broke into laughter.
Gasly insisted he is still open to reigniting their friendship, as well as their professional one during their time together at the French team, revealing he’s held out the olive branch to his compatriot on multiple occasions.
“I know I have given Esteban many, many chances to make this relationship work, but if someone doesn’t want to be friends then that’s fine to me,” he said.
However, the two lasted just two years together at Alpine before Ocon left to join Haas in 2025.
During those two campaigns in the same machinery, Gasly finished above Ocon both years in the Drivers’ standings, but they both claimed podiums in each season.
