Ocon will double up his F1 duties with a brief rally excursion for Alpine
Antonin Vincent / DPPI
Alpine Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon will take part in the 2021 Rallye Monte-Carlo and drive the A110S in a series of special stage runs.
It will be the first time the Frenchman has entered a rally event as well as his first proper experience in the A110S since driving around the Nordschleife during the Eifel Grand Prix weekend last season.
Ocon will take part in the opening two stages of the rally as the official VIP course car, driving the first 20.58km route from Saint-Disdier to Corps and then SS2 between Saint-Maurice and Saint-Bonnet.
Ahead of the rally, Ocon will conduct a private test to get to grips with the A110S and the unique conditions of the rally.
Alpine has a strong history with the rally dating back to 1969 when Jean Vinatier and co-driver Jean-François Jacob finished third in the original A110. One year later, Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Claude Roure matched their third-place finish before Ove Andersson claimed Alpine’s first Monte-Carlo victory in 1971.
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“This is a fantastic opportunity and I certainly cannot wait to experience Rallye Monte-Carlo for the first time,” Ocon said.
“It’s a legendary event, a jewel in the calendar of motorsport and I know how special being part of it will be. I’m looking forward to driving the beautiful Alpine A110S. I had my first taste of the A110 in October with three laps of the Nordschleife. It was great that day; very comfortable and agile to drive.
“It’s born for this kind of challenge with the tight hairpins and mountain passes. Rallying has actually always been a dream for me, so driving the A110S in Monte-Carlo is a brilliant way to begin the year.”
He isn’t the only F1 driver to take up rallying during the winter break. Mercedes‘ Valtteri Bottas finished sixth overall in the Arctic Lapland Rally earlier this month.
The Monte-Carlo Rally is set to begin on Thursday this week.
