Esteban Ocon and Alpine will part ways at the end of the season with the announcement coming just one week after the Frenchman’s crash with team-mate Pierre Gasly.

The 27-year-old left team principal Bruno Famin and his colleague Gasly furious at the Monaco Grand Prix when he launched an ambitious move up the inside at Portier on the opening lap.

Ocon and Gasly are both out of contract come the end of the year and the decision has now been made that the former will depart the team that he joined back in 2020.

Expressing his feelings after the announcement was made, Ocon said: “It’s been a significant period of my life to be racing at this team in Formula One. While I’ve been here for five years as a full-time racing driver, my professional career started at Enstone back when I was a teenager, so it will always be a special place for me.

“We have had some great moments together, some tough moments as well, and I am certainly grateful to everyone at the team for these memorable times. I will announce my plans very soon but, in the meantime, my full focus is on delivering on track for this team and having a successful remainder of the season.”

Team principal Famin added to those comments, stating: “We would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win.

“We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results. We wish Esteban the very best for the next chapter of his driving career when that moment comes.”

While Ocon’s next move is unconfirmed, he released a personal statement teasing news in the near future. “Like many drivers this season, a lot has been said about my future beyond 2024,” he wrote on X. “News will be announced in due course.”

The most likely destination for the former Racing Point and Manor driver is Haas, with Ayao Komatsu considering pairing him with Oliver Bearman in an all-new line-up for the team. However, with Mercedes’ second seat still vacant, the Frenchman will be holding out hope for a return to his former employers.