Formula 1 Gasly vs. Ocon – Global Sports Planet

Alain Prost, four-time Formula 1 world champion in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993, is the only French world champion. Since his last championship, France has not been successful at the pinnacle of motorsport, although that may soon change.

In recent years, there has been a French push in Formula 1 with some great drivers such as Romain Grosjean, Jean-Éric Vergne and Jules Bianchi. The French legacy continues today with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, highly talented drivers who already know what it\’s like to win in the category.

Both Gasly and Ocon have established themselves as two of the great young promises of Formula 1, destined to do great things. Both surprised the world with their unexpected (and deserved) victories. Despite this, the two are very different both on and off the track.

Gasly vs. Ocon: Will France Win An F1 Championship Again Soon?

France is a country that has always been heavily involved in Formula 1. Already in the first decades of the category, some French drivers such as Robert Manzon or Maurice Trintignant stood out.

In addition, Renault, the French national team, joined the category in 1977 and in the following decades won several world championships, either as a constructor or as an engine manufacturer. However, contrary to what might appear to be the case, French drivers have not been so successful.

As mentioned above, Alain Prost is the only French world champion. There have been other good French drivers such as Patrick Tambay, Didier Pironi, René Arnoux, Jean Alesi or Olivier Panis, who achieved several podiums and some wins, but not the world championship.

After several decades since the last French victory in Formula 1, Pierre Gasly scored his first win at the 2020 Italian GP, and at the 2021 Hungarian GP, Esteban Ocon scored the second French victory in less than a year.

Both are highly talented drivers, as they have demonstrated numerous times on the track, achieving victories and podiums with midfield cars. Will they be able to win a new world championship for France in the coming years?

Pierre Gasly: Loved and Hated By Red Bull

Pierre Gasly has one of the most incredible stories in Formula 1. The Frenchman started racing in karting when he was very young, and gradually worked his way up the ranks, proving that he was one of the most talented drivers of his generation.

In the junior categories, Gasly won the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 in 2013 and joined the Red Bull Junior Team development program in 2014. He was runner-up in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2014 and in 2016 won the GP2 Series.

His good results earned him a Formula 1 seat at Toro Rosso for the final races of 2017, replacing Daniil Kvyat. The Frenchman continued with Toro Rosso in 2018, and his great season saw him promoted to Red Bull in 2019 following the departure of Daniel Ricciardo.

In 2019, Gasly performed well below expectations, and after the summer break, he was demoted back to Toro Rosso, just like Daniil Kvyat a few years earlier, which shocked the entire paddock.

However, the Frenchman did not give up, and from that moment on he performed like never before, consolidating himself as one of the best drivers on the grid. At the 2019 Brazilian GP, he scored an incredible podium finish, and at the 2020 Italian GP his first victory, and in 2021 he again scored a podium finish at the Azerbaijan GP, all with midfield cars.

Gasly is currently stuck at AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso), and Red Bull does not know what to do with him as they have no place for him in the first team, however, they cannot afford to let go of one of the biggest talents on the grid.

Esteban Ocon: From Losing His Seat To Winning A Race

Esteban Ocon comes from a humble family, the son of a mechanic, who had to sell his house to finance the costs of Esteban\’s racing career, moving into a caravan. After this great sacrifice, Ocon did not crack under the pressure and very soon proved that he had what it took to be a racing driver.

The Frenchman gradually climbed through the single-seater categories, winning the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2014 and the GP3 Series in 2015. Following these good results, Ocon joined the Mercedes Junior Team, and made his F1 debut in 2016 with the backmarker Manor Racing team, replacing Rio Haryanto for the second half of the season.

The Frenchman put in good performances with Manor, and drove for Force India in 2017 and 2018, alongside the more experienced Sergio \”Checo\” Pérez. Despite having such a tough teammate, the reality was that Ocon was always very close to Pérez, having several clashes and fights during those seasons, and proving that he was a driver worthy of being in F1.

Despite this, Ocon was left without a seat for the 2019 season, following the purchase of Force India by Lawrence Stroll, who replaced the Frenchman with his son Lance. However, in 2020 Esteban returned to Formula 1 with Renault, now renamed Alpine, going from strength to strength as the seasons went by and establishing himself as one of the most consistent drivers on the grid.

At the 2020 Shakir GP Ocon scored his first podium in F1, and at the 2021 Hungarian GP he scored an incredible and unexpected victory, as did Gasly. He has also proven to be at the same level as his teammate, double world champion Fernando Alonso.

\"\" — Editorial credit: cristiano barni / Shutterstock.com

Gasly vs. Ocon: Career Stats

Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon\’s stats are surprisingly similar. Both have raced for approximately 4 seasons in Formula 1, running mostly midfield cars with which to consistently fight for points and earn occasional podiums.

In 100 entries, Gasly has achieved 1 win, 3 podiums, 3 fastest laps, and 325 career points. This means that he has achieved 1% of the wins, 3% of the podiums, and 3% of the fastest laps in the races in which he has participated. Not bad for having spent most of the time at AlphaTauri.

On the other hand, Ocon has participated in 104 Grands Prix, achieving 1 win, 2 podiums, and 330 career points. Of all the races in which he has participated, the Frenchman has achieved 0.96% of victories and 1.92% of podiums.

Gasly vs. Ocon: The 2021 Championship

The 2021 Formula 1 Championship was one of the most exciting of the last decades, with a fight to the end for the title between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. However, it was also exciting for the rest of the grid, as all teams (with the exception of Haas) were very close to each other.

Alpine and AlphaTauri were very evenly matched all year, fighting for fifth in the constructors\’ championship, so Gasly and Ocon met many times on the track, as their cars were similar in performance.

In the end, Alpine beat AlphaTauri, but Gasly finished ninth, just ahead of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Gasly continued his incredible 2020 form, scoring on a regular basis, and taking a podium finish at the Azerbaijan GP.

On the other hand, Ocon also had a great season, outperforming Alonso on numerous occasions, and taking victory at the Hungarian GP. Esteban, however, was somewhat more inconsistent, which resulted in him finishing slightly behind. At the end of the year, Gasly scored 100 points, while Ocon 74.

Pierre Gasly	Stat	Esteban Ocon
110	Points	74
0	Wins	1
1	Podiums	1
0	Poles	0
0	Fastest laps	1
3	Retirements	3
3rd	Best result	1st
5	Points / GP	3.36
9th	Final position in the championship	11th

Gasly vs. Ocon: The 2022 Championship

If in 2021 both Alpine and AlphaTauri were very evenly matched, the situation has changed in 2022. Alpine has remained a strong midfield team, outperforming McLaren and currently being the fourth-best team. On the other hand, AlphaTauri has declined significantly in performance, being the eighth-best team, far behind Alpine.

This has meant that Ocon has been able to score points in most races this year, while Gasly struggles to score points. With 14 races held, Ocon has scored 64 points, while Gasly just 18. Ocon is only a few points short of beating what he scored last season, while Gasly has far less than half of what he had a year ago.

Gasly vs. Ocon: Strengths and Weaknesses

In recent seasons, both Gasly and Ocon have established themselves as two of the best drivers on the grid, and due to their age, they still have plenty of time left in the category, so they are highly sought after by many teams.

Pierre Gasly proved in 2020 and 2021 to be in one of the best shapes on the grid, getting the most out of his car, and being a very fast and consistent driver, at the level of the best. Gasly has proven to be an excellent leader of a midfield team, creating a great team atmosphere and always bringing out the best.

However, his weakest point is that he is a very fragile driver, i.e. he can lose confidence under pressure, which caused his performance to decline during his time at Red Bull, during which he did not adapt to the car at all. However, in the right environment, he is one of the best drivers on the grid, so he has to prove that he can handle a top team.

On the other hand, Ocon has shown the opposite. Esteban is a driver with great self-confidence, which has made him adapt very well to any car, as he has shown in Force India and Renault (Alpine). He is a driver who knows how to fight on track and defend himself against other great drivers.

However, that confidence has caused him to make mistakes at times, either by trying to overtake too hard or simply making mistakes on the track. He is an overly aggressive driver at times, but with experience and time, he will be able to improve that aspect.

Gasly vs. Ocon: Lifestyle and Relationship

Despite being both French and the same age, it\’s no secret that Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon don\’t get along very well. The two have known each other since the early days in karting, and in fact, had a good relationship as kids.

However, when they began to compete in more important categories, their relationship began to deteriorate due to rivalry and clashes on track between the two. Today the two respect each other as drivers, but you won\’t see them together off the track.

As for their lifestyle, Gasly lives in the Milan region, very close to Toro Rosso\’s headquarters. The Frenchman is a soccer lover and is especially active on social media, where he often shares photos with his friends and family at home or on vacation.

On the other hand, Ocon is a very reserved person in terms of his private life, so he does not show much on social networks. His official residence is not known, although it is rumored that he lives in Switzerland with his girlfriend Elena Berri, an Italian model. The Frenchman is a lover of building and racing radio-controlled cars.

\"\" — Editorial credit: PatrickLauzon photographe / Shutterstock.com

Conclusion

After several decades, France finally has race winners again in Formula 1. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have come to the category to stay, as they have proven to be two of the best drivers on the current grid, taking victories and podiums with midfield cars.

Will any of them become world champions one day? They have talent, but the competition in F1 is very high, so only time and the right team choices will tell.