Button on Ocon: "Possibly Threw Away the Rest of His Career"

Has Esteban Ocon thrown away the rest of his career?

At the Grand Prix weekend, the 30-year-old and his Haas team caused a stir when he was replaced by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa after the first two practice sessions.

Ocon himself spoke out in a statement on Saturday. He confirmed an altercation but vehemently denied various accusations of physical violence.

"Possibly Threw Away the Rest of His Career"

Speaking to "Sky", ex-Formula 1 driver Jenson Button says: "He might have thrown away the rest of his Formula 1 career."

Of course, it's "always difficult for a driver when your own team is looking for another driver for next year and you're out."

Button continued: "But the best thing for him is and remains to drive and work as well and as hard as he can to show how good he is. He can't do that now, because of a disagreement over tyres – in practice! It's not even about qualifying, but about practice! That frustrates me when I see it. He's one of the 22 best drivers in the world and you don't get an opportunity like that easily."

Already in 2024, the Frenchman had to leave his then-racing team Alpine due to an altercation.