Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon had a contrasting season thus far. Moreover, the Dutchman has established himself as a starlet, while Ocon feels sidelined. Verstappen has been on a roll since defeating Lewis Hamilton in the championship bout in 2021. The fierce driver has clinched three consecutive world titles while being on the verge of winning his fourth.
On the contrary, Ocon and Alpine have failed to be front runners. Moreover, his raging rivalry with teammate Pierre Gasly has raised questions. Consequently, Alpine management opened the exit door for the Frenchman. Thus, the driver is now without a seat for the upcoming 2025 season. However, the alignment of this news with Red Bull’s forthcoming announcement has given rise to several ‘fan theories.’
F1 Fans React To The Speculations Of Esteban Ocon Being Red Bull’s Mega Announcement
The Alpine’s decision to part ways with Esteban Ocon has yet again reshuffled the grid. As a result, the list of drivers without a seat for 2025 has grown. While teh news came as a shock wave for a few, others believed it was inevitable. Ocon was having an inner tussle with teammate Gasly. The two have shared a bitter bond since their early racing days. Recently, the 27-year-old Frenchman overlooked the team’s order. Consequently, he ran into Gasly’s car, lifting the rear part mid-air. Therefore, this incident fueled Alpine’s decision not to extend Ocon’s contract. Withal, he joined the infamous list of drivers’ without a seat in 2025. However, he shared a message saying he would reveal his plans soon.’
Ocon says he will announce his plans "very soon"… 👀 pic.twitter.com/8aiPGehif6
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) June 3, 2024
On the other hand, his message conceded with Red Bull’s imminent announcement. The Milton Keynes-based outfit created an Instagram channel named ‘announcement.’ The creation of such a channel ahead of Canada GP has sparked speculations. The message reads ‘stay tuned,’ directing towards an upcoming news. Thus, online F1 fans came up with theories of Ocon driving alongside Verstappen at Red Bull. The two share a bitter memory from the Brazilian GP 2018. After a decent run in the earlier season, Ocon was rising. The Frenchman had earlier defeated Verstappen during the F3 days. Thus, Ocon considered himself to be equally as talented as the Dutchman. While Verstappen was skedaddling his way to greatness, Ocon was sidelined. Therefore, in an attempt to overtake the leading Verstappen, Ocon strangled him, ruining the race.
Therefore, fans reacted sarcastically, asking what could happen if the two partnered. Another Twitter user wrote about the uncertainty of F1. Social media was buzzing with witty posts about the possibility of two old rivals sharing the team’s space.
Ocon’s Potential Options For The 2025 Season
Although Esteban replacing Sergio Perez was a trending topic, it is unlikely to happen. Thus, the Frenchman would be examining his potential options for the upcoming season. Team Haas is the most likely choice, as Lawrence Baretto speculated.
If the ‘Haas plan’ is sabotaged, Sauber, which will become Audi, could be the backup. Nico Hulkenberg has already signed a contract with the team. However, the second seat is still vacant. While Carlos Sainz is in line to fill it, Ocon can hope for a favorable result.