Conclusions | Abiteboul's departure is already noticeable with contract for Ocon

Esteban Ocon has signed a three-year contract with Alpine and that news came as a surprise. The Frenchman is performing very well in 2021, but a few months ago he seemed ready for a change. 

It can go fast in F1

'You're only as good as your last race.' It's a cliché but it's true in this case. Ocon was on the sidelines in 2019 and returned to Renault in 2020 full of expectation. However, he was dominated by Daniel Ricciardo. With the arrival of Fernando Alonso, Alpine's new frontrunner seemed known, and Ocon's fate sealed.

Ocon did the only thing a driver can do in that situation: talk on the track. Alonso may have one point more after six races, but that is entirely due to his sixth place in Baku where Ocon retired with technical problems. Where both drivers finished, Ocon finished ahead of his new teammate on all occasions.

Also in the qualifying duel, Ocon has his affairs in order. It's 4-2 in favour of the Frenchman, and on average Ocon was 0.282s faster per qualifying session. Of course, Alonso still has some way to go, but where everyone expected Ocon to play second fiddle, he's the man to lead the team.

And that's how things can go in Formula 1, but also in the sport as a whole. A few months back, Ocon seemed to be the driver of which almost everyone was sure he would have to leave at the end of 2021. Now, however, he is a 24-year-old French lad with a three-year contract in his pocket with the French Formula One team. Esteban can't believe his luck.

Formula 1 teams seek salvation in long contracts

That three-year deal with Alpine also says something about the change in Formula 1. Top drivers are sometimes contracted for longer periods of time by F1 teams to avoid the discussion around one person every year. For example, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc already have longer contracts, as we saw in the past with Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher or even Fernando Alonso in his period with Ferrari and McLaren.

However, for other drivers and teams, it is not common to sign long contracts. The best options on the market are looked at annually, and based on that, it is decided who will be recruited for the following year. Where the top teams have broken with this trend before, the new management is looking smart.

Just like McLaren, Alpine is now providing peace of mind in its climb to the top. Where under Cyril Abiteboul's leadership there was an annual discussion about the position of the drivers, there is now peace early in the season. This should give confidence to the drivers. They know where they stand, and they can work to help this team to the top. These are the first signs that the management change at Alpine is paying off.

Ocon off the Mercedes radar

That Ocon is signing on with Alpine at this stage, while the contracts of Hamilton and Bottas expire at the end of 2021, says enough about his position within Mercedes. Ocon has been surpassed within Mercedes' junior programme by George Russell, who is still a contender for the Mercedes seat and will probably get it.

A few years ago, Ocon was the man mentioned to replace Valtteri Bottas, but that is no longer the case. He is in his place at Alpine, where he can develop quietly. It would also be a big risk to wait, because if Mercedes doesn't choose him, Alpine might already have chosen someone else.

Alpine lacks a B-team

And then finally the training of Alpine. With a comprehensive presentation, Alpine's junior program was presented prior to this season. The talents that were already under Renault were again on the list. The goal to bring talents to Formula 1 proved to be a difficult one for Alpine.

With Guanyy Zhou and Oscar Piastri as number one and two in the Formula 2 championship, you cannot say that not Alpine has talents that could make the step. Christian Lundgaard hasn't shown enough this year, and Victor Martins and Caio Collet may be making the move too soon from Formula 3, but Zhou and Piastri are candidates for F1.

With a three-year contract for Ocon and a deal for Alonso that runs through to 2022, the seats at Alpine are taken, and you can't help but be surprised. Alpine has the ambition to become a top team, so it would not be a logical decision to put a talent from F2 in the car. Alpine lacks a B-team in that respect.

Where Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes can test their young talents at Alfa Romeo, Haas, AlphaTauri and Williams, Alpine has no ties with any other team. For the future, this will be an interesting option, because otherwise the junior program doesn't make sense. If Zhou or Piastri becomes champion, there will be no place for them in F2.