Alpine ace Esteban Ocon ‘waiting for’ rival F1 drivers to open alternative seat

Follow us on Google Discover

Esteban Ocon admits the Alpine star is ‘waiting’ for more active Formula 1 drivers to race at Le Mans to open a path for him to compete at the iconic 24-hour WEC event.

The Alpine brand will return to the Circuit de la Sarthe in June with the French manufacturer running their first, true Hypercar. Alpine have not fought for overall honours since 2022 after stepping back from the FIA World Endurance Championship’s top class to develop the A424.

Alpine only contested LMP2 in 2023 after the Signatech-run arm of the brand opted against continuing to run a grandfathered A480 LMP1 car in Hypercar. Their new-for-2024 A424 is a genuine Hypercar which sportscar rookie Mick Schumacher will drive in the full WEC season.

Alpine star Esteban Ocon hopes F1 drivers pave his path to Le Mans

Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere will partner Schumacher in the #36 Alpine Hypercar in 2024. While Paul-Loup Chatin, Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg will peddle Alpine’s #35. But Alpine’s Formula 1 star Ocon hopes he will have the chance to do Le Mans one day.

“The focus is always 2,000 per cent on Formula 1,” Ocon detailed, via quotes by GP Fans. “But I think as soon as one F1 driver will do Le Mans while the F1 season is going, many more drivers will do so. And I’m waiting for that moment to see what happens.”

Porsche were the last WEC team to employ an active F1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 with Haas star Nico Hulkenberg. The German even won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on his debut, with teammates Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber, in a third factory-backed 919 LMP1 car.

Hulkenberg’s crew also finished a lap ahead of the second-place Porsche car driven by Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard. It was the first time – and only so far – that an active F1 driver had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans since Johnny Herbert with Mazda in 1991.

Esteban Ocon thinks it’s ‘fantastic’ Mick Schumacher is in WEC in 2024

Hulkenberg also only prepared for his Le Mans debut with Porsche in 2015 by contesting the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Yet his LMP1 crew finished the race at the home of the F1 Belgian GP in sixth position. The #19 team started the 24 Hours of Le Mans third on the grid.

Now, Ocon hopes to one day have the same chance as his Haas rival with Alpine returning to WEC’s premier Hypercar class. The 27-year-old – who drove half a season in DTM before his F1 debut in 2016 – also believes it is great for Alpine to sign Schumacher up for a 2024 drive.

“It’s fantastic for the Alpine endurance team to have Mick,” Ocon continued. “I think he’s bringing a lot of experience, expertise and he’s obviously a very talented driver in general. And I really hope that they are going to be winning Le Mans this year.”