Esteban Ocon Dismisses Negative Perceptions About Teammate Fernando Alonso – “I’ve Learned a Lot Alongside Him.”

Fernando Alonso has been one of the most prolific figures in the history of F1. The relentless, strong-headed Spaniard challenged the biggest name in the sport, Michael Schumacher, at the peak of his powers, and prevailed. The two-time world champion and 32 Grand Prix winner bid adieu to the sport in 2018 and made a comeback in 2021 with the Alpine team, alongside French prodigy Esteban Ocon.

But Alonso’s antics with former teammates and his say in the teams’ decision-making still follow him around. Belgian racing driver Stoffel Vandoorne recently pointed fingers at McLaren’s ‘politics’ for his failed F1 dream. He also admitted that too much focus on teammate Fernando Alonso hampered his career with the Woking-based team.

This is not the first time that Alonso is present at the heart of such a situation. His partnership with Lewis Hamilton back in 2007 also invited a lot of scrutiny. However, his current teammate Esteban Ocon has refuted these claims, at least in his own personal experience.

We’ve had a fantastic collaboration: Esteban Ocon about Fernando Alonso

In the exciting 2021 F1 season, the partnership of Alonso and Ocon has proved to be a fruitful one for the team. They not only won the midfield battle against rival Alpha Tauri, but the two landmark moments in Hungary and Qatar made this season a memorable one for the fans. Fernando Alonso helped Ocon win his first-ever Grand Prix by keeping Lewis Hamilton at bay for a long time. Meanwhile, Ocon also contributed to Alonso’s 98th podium in Qatar.

In a recent interview reported by PlanetF1, Ocon reflected on his time alongside the Spaniard.

“A lot of people said Fernando was very difficult to work with, that he had a reputation for breaking teammates and all that,” the Frenchman said. “I wanted to see it from my eyes, I wanted to see if what people were saying was true and in the end, it wasn’t. We’ve just had a fantastic collaboration altogether.”

“He’s a hell of a racer–he’s extremely fast, for sure the fastest teammate I’ve had for a while. I was very happy to work alongside him. I’ve learned a lot alongside him.”

“It is a privilege to be working alongside a legend like him and I put him as a reference for sure at the beginning of the year.”

Now, after multiple upper-management changes, the Alpine team will look to improve upon their previous performances in 2022. With a few weeks left before the pre-season testing, the excitement is mounting up among the F1 fans. Alpine will release their 2022 F1 car on the 21st of February. Stay tuned.

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