Tom Clarkson thinks £600m F1 team will be delighted with 2025 driver signing after Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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There were a few standout performances during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix that will have made Formula 1 teams delighted with their future drivers.

The 2024 F1 driver market has been one of the most active in recent years, with one seat still seemingly up for grabs at Sauber.

Other teams will see a completely new driver lineup for 2025, including Haas who will see Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen replaced with Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon.

Ocon had an impressive race after starting from fourth on the grid, electing to stay out while others pitted as the conditions worsened at Interlagos.

He emerged as the leader when the red flag was eventually thrown for a crash involving Franco Colapinto, and initially pulled away from second-placed Max Verstappen at the restart.

When a Safety Car came out for Carlos Sainz crashing out, Verstappen made swift work of Ocon at the second restart and built up a 19-second gap by setting the fastest laps in the final 10 laps.

Ocon’s performance is likely to put confidence in Haas, with journalist Tom Clarkson believing they are likely feeling delighted with signing him when speaking on the F1 Nation podcast.

Haas will be delighted with signing Esteban Ocon for 2025 season

Ocon is one of the 12 drivers on the grid who has won a race in F1, having taken victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix in conditions not too dissimilar from what they experienced in Sao Paulo.

The Frenchman is moving to his third team in F1 by switching to the £600m American outfit, having raced with Racing Point and Alpine.

Clarkson believes he showed just how good he can perform under pressure along with Gasly by securing the double podium, which propelled Alpine ahead of Haas in the Constructors’ Championship.

“Lots of drivers made a mistake. Gasly had Russell very large in his mirror for lap after lap at the end. Really its like he’s been on the practice courts all year and suddenly he’s in a Wimbledon final and he keeps it together. I was really impressed by both of them,” said Clarkson.

“I think Haas is probably thinking ‘Wow, thank goodness we’ve gone with Esteban Ocon’ and I also think Alpine is thinking ‘Great, Pierre Gasly has proven again that he’s a team leader and a great sounding board for Jack Doohan next year’.”

Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon share ‘beautiful’ childhood story after Brazil podium

Both Ocon and Gasly hail from the same area of France in Normandy and were rivals in go-karting before making it through the ranks and F1.

This has led to some tension on track between the pair as teammates, with it overspilling twice at last year’s Australian GP when they collided in the final laps and at this year’s Monaco GP when Ocon had to retire after opening-lap contact with Gasly.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Alpine did not score their first points this season until the race in Monaco after a difficult start to the year and several management changes behind the scenes.

Although the result in Brazil was great for Alpine’s Constructors’ Championship, Ocon and Gasly shared a ‘beautiful’ moment after their double podium.