Esteban Ocon explains Monaco blocking dispute with F1 team-mate Ollie Bearman

Esteban Ocon has downplayed a heated radio exchange where both Haas Formula 1 drivers questioned the on-track behaviour of the other during practice for the Monaco Grand Prix. 

Traffic is a common feature in F1, and it is dialled up to the extreme on the tight and narrow 3.337km Monaco layout. Although teams do their best to find clear air, this is rarely possible when all 22 cars are on the track in practice sessions of the first phase of qualifying.

A far simpler task, in theory, is ensuring your two cars do not trip up over each other. But this was not possible for Haas, with Bearman frustrating Ocon after blocking him on consecutive push laps. 

“He doesn’t have to fuck my laps twice as well, you know, on the fast [laps],” said Ocon, who overtook his team-mate into Anthony Noghes.

Unimpressed, Bearman said to his race engineer: “What an idiot, man. That was so stupid from Esteban.”

Speaking after the second practice session, which had passed without further incident, Ocon attempted to play down the drama. 

"It's fine, because Ollie was getting blocked like three times," he said. "The problem is that I wasn't getting blocked [by other people], I was only getting blocked by him. As soon as that was communicated, we swapped places and it was fine." 

New F1 era 'a bit like last year' on Monaco streets

The current generation of F1 machinery has seen drivers forced to manage energy far more than in any previous era. But at Monaco, this challenge is significantly reduced, with several heavy braking zones, and few sustained areas of deployment. 

Asked how the new cars feel on the iconic streets, Ocon explained: "It's actually quite good because the size of it. You can navigate your way through a bit better, prepare the lines a bit better. I was expecting the cars to ride much better than last year though, which is not the case so far, which is surprising. But it's a bit more old school, a bit like we had last year, where we don't need to prepare so much for the engine.

"We have a bit more flexibility because the track is short, so that's pretty positive."

While Bearman was able to pop his Haas into the top 10, Ocon struggled in 17th place. Reflecting on his efforts, the Frenchman added: "It's tomorrow that matters. It's only practice, only FP2, so we'll see where we are tomorrow."