During his time in Formula 1, Esteban Ocon has struggled to build a friendly relationship with many of his teammates, whether that be at Racing Point, Renault or Alpine.
The Frenchman’s relationship with Sergio Perez back in his Racing Point days quickly turned toxic, as the pair often collided on track.
High-profile collisions in Azerbaijan and Belgium put the duo’s relationship at breaking point before Ocon was released by the team at the end of 2019.
In his first two seasons with Alpine Ocon has fared no better with his teammate, having once again seen his relationship with his partner turn toxic.
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By the end of Fernando Alonso’s time with Alpine he could be often heard on the radio slamming Ocon for his on-track antics, with the pair coming together at last season’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
It is not just Ocon’s teammates who seem to have an issue with the Frenchman, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ending up in a physical altercation with Ocon after the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Ocon hit race leader Verstappen while trying to unlap himself, an unnecessary manoeuvre that put both drivers out of the race.
Sky Sports’ Naomi Schiff has now revealed that Ocon is not very popular in the paddock due to these on-track actions, which have angered a number of drivers.
“It’s funny because coming into the paddock I really thought that Esteban Ocon was one of the nicest guys. He’s always so friendly, always got a smile on his face, always says hello,” she said.
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“But amongst the drivers he’s not extremely popular and I think that’s because of his on-track behaviours. That helmet comes on and a demon comes out.”
Pierre Gasly will be Ocon’s teammate this season and with the pair having shared a tense relationship during their time in the junior categories, some fans are expecting this relationship to become toxic later down the line.
Both drivers have claimed that they are getting along fine and that their issues are a thing of the past but after lights out in a Grand Prix, Ocon becomes a different beast, meaning nothing can be ruled out.