Esteban Ocon Slapped with Five-Place Grid Drop for Canadian GP After Monaco Clash with Alpine Teammate Pierre Gasly
The Monaco Grand Prix started with high drama as Alpine teammates Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly collided in a chaotic first lap. Gasly, who had shone in qualifying by making it to Q3, was taken by surprise when Ocon made a daring inside move at the Portier corner. The ambitious attempt resulted in Ocon’s car mounting Gasly’s, briefly lifting off the ground before crashing back down, leaving both cars damaged.
“What did he do?! What did he do?!” Gasly shouted over the radio. “Why did he try to attack? Oh my gosh. The whole car is damaged now!”
The incident added to a string of early collisions involving Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez with the Haas drivers. After reviewing the clash, the stewards deemed Ocon entirely at fault, issuing him a 10-second penalty. However, since Ocon retired from the race due to the damage, the penalty has been converted into a five-place grid drop for the Canadian Grand Prix.
“It was clear to us that the collision was caused solely by the overly ambitious overtaking attempt from too far back by Car 31 [Ocon],” stated the stewards.
Speaking to the media after the race, Ocon explained, “I’m okay. It was a hard launch in the air and a hard landing, but I’ve had worse days. It’s unfortunate to retire early in the race… a tough one. We tried to bring the car back to the garage and repair what we could, but the damage was too severe. A chaotic first lap… I hope the team can still score some points today.”
As the focus shifts to the Canadian Grand Prix, Ocon will face a five-place grid drop, adding extra pressure to his comeback efforts on the track.
