EXPLAINED: Could Alpine really bench Esteban Ocon for the Canadian Grand Prix following his clash with Pierre Gasly?

Famin and Ocon are understood to have spoken on Sunday evening, with the Frenchman apologising for his actions and subsequently taking the blame publicly with a tweet. “Today’s incident was my fault,” he said. “The gap was too small in the end and I apologise to the team on this one.”

Fortunately, Gasly was able to hold on to secure 10th and a vital point – with the top-10 the same as the starting grid for the first time in history – which went some way to sparing the team’s blushes.

READ MORE: Ocon to take five-place grid drop at Canadian GP after dramatic first-lap clash with team mate Gasly in Monaco

The consequences of dropping Ocon

Talks are planned for this week to discuss whether there will be any repercussions. There has been some speculation that Ocon will be “benched” for the Canadian Grand Prix, where he is set to serve a five-place grid penalty for the Monaco collision, with Alpine turning to reserve driver Jack Doohan for that race before recalling Ocon for Spain.

Such a move would allow Alpine to assess Doohan’s potential, as they weigh up giving their junior a race seat next season. However, dropping Ocon as a punishment is an extreme measure which has never been used by another team in F1 history – and is extremely unlikely to happen.

If that decision is made it would likely damage the relationship with Ocon beyond repair while also damaging the Frenchman’s chances of securing a seat elsewhere on the grid, if they decide to part ways at the end of this season when his contract expires.

It’s more likely that the team will sit down and discuss the events of Monaco before putting a formal ‘rules of engagement’ document in place for future races to ensure the team is put first.