Ocon much happier after Alpine-to-Haas move

Feb.19 (GMM) Esteban Ocon admits switching from Alpine to Haas has been a breath of fresh air.

The Frenchman’s soured relationship with Alpine, formerly Renault, ended abruptly even before the season finale in Abu Dhabi late last year, when his successor Jack Doohan stepped into his cockpit.

Even teammate Pierre Gasly, definitely not close friends with Ocon, recognised the brutality. “We didn’t really have the opportunity to say goodbye,” he said on Tuesday.

Ocon, however, insists he has landed in a good place at his new team – Haas.

“There are a lot of different things but a lot of positive,” the 28-year-old told L’Equipe. “I was able to feel very comfortable right away.

“Everyone listens to me with their ears wide open. That means the team really wants to put me in a comfortable situation and try to improve. All the things I asked for were implemented.”

Ocon implied that being listened to is something he is not familiar with recently.

“We did a complete redesign of the steering wheel, and it arrived in perfect condition, exactly as I wanted it,” he revealed. “These are not things I’m used to.

“It would have taken eight or ten months where I came from. Here, it happened in a month and a half.”

However, Ocon did not want to dwell on the negative end of his five-year tenure at Enstone.

“I have turned the page on the Alpine chapter,” he said. “I wish them the best for the future. It is a team that will always have an important place in my heart.”