Fernando Alonso vs Esteban Ocon: Who will come out on top?

An inter-team rivalry is always one of the most interesting dynamics in Formula One. The question of whether they’ll be allowed to race each other is often brought up, and the topic of a number one and a number two driver adds fuel to the fire. Lewis Hamilton versus Nico Rosberg for Mercedes, and Max Verstappen versus Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull are two recent examples that spring to mind of teammates who clashed, or crashed in both cases, on track.

This season, one particularly intriguing teammate battle will be between Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Alonso has been brought in to replace the departed Ricciardo at the team formerly known as Renault, and whilst their CEO Laurent Rossi has claimed Alonso won’t receive preferential treatment, it will be fascinating to see whether his statement of: “There is no such thing as a number one and number two driver. I also don’t think that exists in many teams, to be honest, at least not in ours” will bear fruit.

Ocon will certainly hope to be given a fair chance, but with the Spaniard so experienced, and evidently, so quick, only time will tell how it pans out.

A two-time world champion with the team, back in 2005 and 2006, Alonso will expect to beat Ocon for pace, but having missed the past two seasons since leaving the sport after 2018, it may take him time to adjust; advantage Ocon?

The Frenchman himself suffered from a break in the sport after he lost his seat at Force India, now Aston Martin, when Lance Stroll was signed alongside Sergio Perez for 2019, and his season at Renault last season began fairly slowly, likely as a result of that year out.

Whether Alonso will suffer the same fate is something to watch out for, and now aged 39, he could well feel the effects of that break.

However, for a driver with 314 Grand Prix entries and 1899 points to his name, Alonso is perhaps the best-placed driver to bounce back as if he never left. 

But who will come out on top?

History would suggest Alonso, but how much weight does history have in modern Formula 1?

In his last season at McLaren and last year in the sport, back in 2018, Alonso pipped Ocon to 11th place in the Drivers Championship by just one point, despite being in a slower car. Ocon’s Force India teammate Perez finished 8th on 62 points, whereas Alonso’s teammate Stoffel Vandoorne was a lowly 16th with just 12 points, evidently displaying Alonso’s ability to get the most out of a car that simply wasn’t quick.

Ocon’s 2020 points tally of 62 was better than Alonso's 50 from 2018, but again, it was in a quicker car so it’s hard to understand just how that will translate in 2021.

Looking at pre-season testing in Bahrain, the two looked fairly even, with Alonso on top when it comes to the quickest lap over the three days. The Spaniard’s fastest lap around the 5.412km loop of the Bahrain International Circuit was a 1:30.318, better than Ocon’s 1:31.146, but Alonso’s came during the afternoon session on Sunday, in which the track was at its fastest over the entire weekend.

When both were given a full day of testing, Ocon actually bettered Alonso, despite driving during the sandstorm-riden Friday and Alonso on Saturday. Ocon managed his lap time of 1:31.146, 0.472 seconds shy of Verstappen’s 1:30.674 that day, whereas Alonso put together a time of 1:32.339, a full 2.050 seconds off the pace of the session leader Valtteri Bottas.

They both managed over 120 laps on their full day, and over 180 altogether, and with the team avoiding any reliability issues, unlike several teams in the paddock, they could well be set for an impressive year.

The midfield battle was as intense as it was dramatic, and as thrilling as it was chaotic in 2020, and this year looks set to be exactly the same; Alpine will need to be at the top of their game if they want to even challenge for third place in the Constructors Championship, meaning Ocon and Alonso may be ordered to not race each other.

That would be a shame because their partnership has the potential for fireworks, and some great on-track action. 

Ocon’s second place at the Sakhir Grand Prix last year showed his speed and his talent, with the move on Lance Stroll a particular highlight, and he’ll be hoping that he can continue that form into the new season, but with Alonso used to being a team leader, and such a vocal force, he’ll need to step up.

Ricciardo finished fifth in the Drivers Championship last year, 57 points clear of Ocon, and ultimately it was the Frenchman’s disappointing year that cost Renault in the Constructors Championship, something he needs to make up for this year.

Alonso’s consistency is something that Ocon could certainly learn from and it could well prove the difference in this particular battle. If Ocon can take on board Alonso’s aura and consistency, then his raw speed and simply the fact he drove an F1 car last year could well see a shock result in which Ocon manages to beat his two-time world champion teammate this year.

Things may pan out otherwise, but Ocon could well oust his teammate for the number one driver slot before too long.

Will the team favour youth or experience, and which driver will impress the most? Find out on 28 March.