Teammate battles were quite a sight to behold in the 2021 F1 season, especially within the mid-field teams. One such team that witnessed a hard yet respectful teammate rivalry was in Alpine; Fernando Alonso, making his comeback in F1, challenged one of the rising talents, Esteban Ocon.

Until the start of the Bahrain GP, it almost looked like Alonso could defeat Ocon with ease, especially considering the fact that the Frenchman had just come out of a rusty 2020 season with Renault. However, everyone was in for a shock.

Ocon looked mature and very much unlike the Ocon of the past. It was indeed a sign of him learning from his teammate/mentor, Alonso. The French driver started his season well, claiming points in four out of the first five races. on the other hand, Alonso was still getting used to the car.

But, then arrived the turnaround from the Azerbaijan GP; Alonso found his rhythm, as he began to retrieve big points for the team (33 points from the next 6 races). And from thereon, Alonso’s insane consistency made sure that his teammate could never defeat him.

Podium presence for both Alonso & Ocon

Let’s start with Alonso’s podium at Qatar; the Spaniard drove his heart out to claim his first podium in almost a decade. He kept his cool and made sure that a charging Sergio Perez could not get near him by the end of the race.

Meanwhile, there’s Ocon, with a race victory itself. Yes, the circumstances absolutely favored Ocon, who managed to lead the race from the first corner of lap 1 until the end of the Hungarian GP race. However, even with the beneficial circumstances, Ocon was under threat from Hamilton at one point, who looked set to win the race from there.

But, then arrived the shield that is Alonso. The 2-time world champion used all of his experience to hold Hamilton captive for a crucial set of laps, which eventually helped Ocon and Vettel finish ahead of the Mercedes driver. Hence, Alonso arguably played the biggest role in helping Ocon win his first-ever Grand Prix.

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Alonso ahead of Ocon?

There is no arguing that Alonso was better than Ocon in 2021. The Spaniard showed the entire world that age is a mere number and that his racing prowess is still intact. But nothing can be taken away from Ocon either.

Having to keep up with a former world champion for an entire season is no easy task for a driver who has an F1 experience of just two years! And he managed to do it quite spectacularly.

Final verdict: Alonso beats Ocon but only by a very narrow margin

Ocon vs Alonso: F1 Teammate battle

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