F1 Team Alpine knew that their driver, Esteban Ocon, was a free agent going into next season, but the team only found out he was being courted by Williams after they tracked his company car to their rival's parking lot. Last month, Alpine confirmed that they would be parting ways with the French driver after five years together, and while he was said to join Haas alongside rookie Oliver Bearman, his five-hour visit to Williams gave away his real intentions.
" "I don’t think . But let’s face it, the team didn’t extend his contract so Esteban can talk to the other teams. It’s just a funny situation that it got out like that." Getting busted by his own team forced Williams team principal James Vowles to publicly confirm they met with the driver, although just to see if he 'fit'. "Esteban came in for, not a real seat fit, but I wanted to evaluate him for 2025 and 2026.