Pierre Gasly finally confides in his relationship with Esteban Ocon, which went from friendship to rivalry.
Friendship turned into rivalry. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, childhood friends from Normandy, grew up side by side before finding themselves in the same team in Formula 1, at Alpine. But this strong bond was quickly tested, to the point that Ocon chose to move to Haas.
“We could make an entire documentary on this”confides Gasly on the official Formula 1 website, aware of the intensity of their shared history. Because for years, the two pilots were inseparable: “We spent our Wednesdays and weekends together almost every week, him coming to my house, me going to his. We had a very strong bond. » An almost brotherly relationship, born in the lower categories, driven by the common dream of joining Formula 1.
“There was a turning point”
Everything changed during a significant moment in the race, difficult to explain in detail. “Unfortunately, there was a turning point during one of the races. After that, everything collapsed dramatically”confides the Alpine pilot. This break transformed a deep friendship into a sometimes heavy rivalry, under the permanent spotlight of motorsport.
However, Gasly today displays a peaceful vision:
“We know exactly where we come from. We know what we had to go through to get there. And we also both know that this rivalry was a good thing, because it pushed us beyond our potential. » Looking back, the Frenchman is confident for the future: “I have no doubt that in 10 or 20 years, we will be able to talk about it calmly, with a different perspective. »
