Renowned F1 commentator Martin Brundle applauded Esteban Ocon for his exceptional performance at the Monaco Grand Prix. Ocon secured a seventh-place finish on Sunday, marking Haas’s best result ever at the event. The French driver has consistently shown strong performances in Monaco, including a third-place finish in 2023 with Alpine. During the weekend, Ocon impressed again by reaching Q3 and celebrated enthusiastically on Team Radio.
Without support from teammate Ollie Baerman, who started from the back due to a penalty for a Red Flag infringement, Ocon managed to reclaim seventh place, just behind Racing Bull’s Isaac Hajar. At present, Ocon has contributed 20 of Haas’s 26 points in the 2025 F1 season, helping the team secure sixth place in the constructors’ standings.
In his post-race analysis for Sky Sports, Brundle highlighted Ocon’s “under the radar” excellence. He noted that despite ongoing discussions about the two-stop rule, race results remained largely consistent. Brundle mentioned Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari being penalized on the grid and subsequently overtaking Hajar during pit stops. Unfortunately, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso retired due to car failure—a situation that would have unfolded regardless. Alongside Hajar and Liam Lawson from Racing Bull, Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Saints also delivered notable performances by finishing ninth and tenth respectively.
Ocon expressed his satisfaction with his performance at Haas, stating, “I didn’t make a mistake with my legs.” Although his transition from Alpine to Haas wasn’t seamless, Ocon has achieved significant results for the American team this year, including a fifth-place finish in China and an eighth-place finish in Bahrain. He capitalized on opportunities when two Ferraris were disqualified for technical infringements.
Reflecting on his Monaco weekend, Ocon said, “It’s been a great weekend. We didn’t make any mistakes from qualifying to the race. We put everything together when it mattered, so I’m really happy. This is a big point for the team. We’ve also made good progress in qualifying, which is very positive, and we need to build on this consistency in future races.”
Fan Take: This standout performance by Ocon is a thrilling development for both Haas and the wider F1 community, showcasing how skill and strategy can elevate a team’s status in the highly competitive field. It hints at a more unpredictable and exciting season ahead, where mid-tier teams could challenge the traditional front-runners more consistently.
