Esteban Ocon dismisses ‘complete nonsense’ as he approaches Alpine exit

Esteban Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of the 2024 season

Esteban Ocon said suggestions he was being frozen out of certain Alpine meetings was “complete nonsense” as he heads for the exit door.

Silverstone presents the midway point of Ocon’s final season with the Enstone team but he has rubbished claims he is being kept out of meetings for the future.

Esteban Ocon dismisses Alpine meeting theory

Given F1 teams begin development on the next year’s car far in advance, departing drivers are often still there as teams design cars those drivers will never drive.

One of those in that position currently is Ocon who after five seasons with the Enstone outfit will leave at the end of the year but he has described suggestions he is being frozen out as “complete nonsense.”

“I can tell you that this is complete nonsense,” Ocon told media including PlanetF1.com from Silverstone. “I haven’t been excluded from any meetings.

“I think the team would lose out from one more comment about the car moving forward. So that hasn’t been the case.

“I just hope it won’t be the case. Of course I’m not going to spend time working on next year’s car. That is very clear.

“But it’s also something that [means] I can spend more time on focusing on the 2024 machine.

“Otherwise, there’s nothing else to say but it’s not as clear cut as you think it is.”

More from Silverstone

‘Emotional’ Austria incident could ‘have an impact’ on Max Verstappen/Lando Norris friendship

‘Nobody wants to be bullied’ – Daniel Ricciardo’s verdict in Verstappen v Norris clash

Ocon is one of seven current drivers whose future is as of yet unconfirmed but the Frenchman said that unlike others, he is not waiting for Carlos Sainz to make his mind up.

“It has nothing to do with me, what Carlos is doing basically,” the 27-year-old said.

“We’re managing our own things, and as I said, things are going well and I should be able to speak more in a couple races.”

Asked if he would have an answer before the summer break, Ocon simply replied “hopefully.”

Read next: Lando Norris backtracks on Max Verstappen ‘apology’ demand after Austria clash