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Formula 1 driver kicked out of the team before the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP

The Alpine F1 team has taken necessary action for the benefit of the team by allowing Jack Doohan to make his debut in the Abu Dhabi race this year.

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Venkatakrishnan
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F1 Driv Kick

(Source: Alpine)

We are nearing the end in Abu Dhabi, the only race left in this year's Formula 1 season. The penultimate race in Qatar was full of controversy between drivers and stewards. The season's final race in Abu Dhabi will start on 8th December at 6.30 PM IST.

Formula 1 teams like McLaren and Ferrari are battling hard for the constructors championship. Mercedes and Red Bull want to improve their pace before the final race. Mid-field teams like Haas, Alpine and Williams are fighting for the 6th position.

Alpine driver out of the team

Before the beginning of the weekend, the French racing team took a hard decision on one of their drivers. Esteban Ocon who will leave Alpine and join the Haas team next year is forced out of the team before the Abu Dhabi Grand prix and will be replaced by their rookie driver Jack Doohan.

Jack was the son of Multiple-time MotoGP World champion Mick Doohan. He is an Alpine academy driver and will get a chance to drive in Formula One for the Alpine team next year. So Jack Doohan will join Pierre Gasly ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Many Formula One teams make decisions regarding their outgoing drivers according to their policies. For example, Ferrari has allowed Carlos Sainz to take part in Testing the 2025 Williams car after the end of the Abu dhabi Grand Prix.

Mercedes didn't allow Lewis Hamilton to step into the Ferrari car until the end of the year according to his contract. Lewis will need to wait until next year to try the Ferrari car. Same as Ferrari, the Alpine team has released Estaban Ocon earlier than his actual contract and he will be testing the Haas F1 car after Abu Dhabi race.

Also Read: Max Verstappen wins in Qatar, McLaren and Ferrari take the fight to Abu Dhabi

Battle for 6th

Ocon was also having difficulty getting pace from his car and was very far behind his teammate Pierre Gasly. Apart from Brazil, the French driver was completely outperformed by his teammate. Pierre Gasly has scored 27 points in the last four races including a DNF in the Las Vegas Grand Prix after having an engine failure. Ocon only managed to take 18 points out of these four races and the 18 points came from the P2 finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Gasly is the most crucial factor for the Alpine team to be in the 6th place in the Constructors championship. The French team is just 5 points ahead of the Americans (Haas) in the title race. Abu Dhabi is a Do or Die battle for both teams to finish in 6th place.

Also Read: Unluckiest driver of the day: How Lewis Hamilton's Qatar GP went from Bad to Worst?

Ocon's issues in Alpine

Ocon believes there were some serious problem in his car that prevented him from matching his teammate's pace. He says it could be a half-second lag which in a modern-day formula 1 will kick you out of the Qualifying session. However, data shows the two cars are similar in performance and pace. Alpine and Ocon partnered for five years and their greatest victory came in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix where Ocon finished in P1 after Chaos in the front.

ALSO WATCH: Max Verstappen claims to have lost all respect for George Russell

Great opportunity for Jack

The Australian Driver will have a chance to drive the Formula 1 car in the main race. He already won the F2 feature race in Abu Dhabi last year, so he knows the track very well. If he scores points in his debut, it will be a positive start for his F1 career, and he can carry that confidence to next year, where he will be getting five races to prove his worth to the team.

Also Read: When, where, and how to watch Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 in India?

Formula 1 Alpine Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Esteban Ocon
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