Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 6 delves into the longstanding rivalry between Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
When he drove for AlphaTauri, Pierre Gasly shared a strong bond with former teammate Yuki Tsunoda. They were not just colleagues; they were good friends, almost like brothers.
However, the same cannot be said about Gasly’s relationship with his new teammate, Esteban Ocon, with whom he has a history of not getting along.
Due to that, when news broke of Gasly joining Ocon as his teammate in the 2023 World Championship, doubts arose about their compatibility as a team.
A rivalry spanning several years
Gasly and Ocon come from the same part of Normandy, France. Back home, they lived just 20 minutes apart. The two of them met when they were very young.
They initially bonded over racing and went on to become close friends. In the docuseries, Ocon revealed that Gasly’s first time in a go-kart was when he used Ocon’s kart.
However, their relationship soured during one of the most important national karting championships in 2008.
Ocon used to be better than Gasly, but in that championship, Gasly beat Ocon by overtaking him on the last lap.
While Gasly implies that Ocon struggled to accept his defeat graciously, Ocon claims that Gasly, who was later disqualified, did not play fair.
As a result, their relationship remained strained for years to come, gradually turning into a deep-seated rivalry.
Gasly also claims that his attempts to have a good relationship with Ocon were unsuccessful, while Ocon attributes their differences to personal reasons.
Gasly and Ocon are forced to work together when Gasly transfers to Alpine, yet their partnership is far from perfect.
The docuseries addresses the tension between them. While Gasly acknowledges that he knows Ocon like a younger brother, he also admits that the two of them can never be the best of friends.
During the 2023 season, the two drivers tried to work together but faced visible challenges on the track.
Despite the lack of visible animosity between them, it seemed improbable that they would achieve an exceptional partnership.
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