Ocon clear: 'I will keep my respect for Alonso forever'

Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso got into a fight in Brazil last weekend. Both drivers hit each other in the sprint race, after which the Spanish driver reacted harshly over the team radio. For Ocon, however, nothing changes about their mutual relationship, he told The Race.

The stewards decided to call the men to account after the sprint race and pointed to Alonso as the guilty party. The two-time world champion was eventually given a five-second penalty for the incident and two penalty points on his licence.

Afterwards, the main issue was Alonso's words. The driver suggested that he would be happy if the partnership came to an end. However, Ocon does not seem to take those words seriously. "I always have a lot of respect for him, he’s a legend, and I will keep my respect for him forever," he reveals. "Doesn’t matter what he said to you guys, I prefer when we speak together."

Alonso, incidentally, already backtracked on his response. According to the driver, who will race for Aston Martin next season, his head is still fully with Alpine and he wants to try hard to put in a great performance. Next weekend, the final race in Abu Dhabi is scheduled.