Esteban Ocon has stated that his decision to depart from Alpine was made "a long time ago."
This Thursday at Spa, amidst longstanding speculations about Ocon's shift to Haas, the details of his new multi-year agreement with the team were unveiled.
"The decision was made for me a long time ago," the 27-year-old disclosed to the press.
"Five years with the same team is a long time in Formula 1."
Ocon expressed that the separation was mutual and amicable.
"We achieved good things and we experienced things were a bit more difficult from time to time," he stated tactfully.
"This season has certainly been frustrating. That's no secret. It's not new either," Ocon elaborated.
"We have not done a good job with technical development. As a result, the current car has the same problems as three years ago. This is unacceptable in Formula 1," he further explained.
Currently, Alpine and Renault are contemplating the discontinuation of their in-house engine program, potentially switching to customer Mercedes engines as early as 2025.
Rumours suggest that the upcoming Belgian GP might be the last for Bruno Famin as team principal, with Hitech's Oliver Oakes being considered for the permanent position.
As for Haas, Ocon appears enthusiastic about his future prospects.
"The talks (with Haas) started quite a long time ago, already halfway through the 2023 season," he revealed.
Having previously collaborated with team boss Ayao Komatsu at Lotus a decade ago, where Komatsu served as a race engineer, Ocon feels highly valued and integral to the team's future.
"When we sat down for the first time, he told me about his plans for the future, which are very clear," he mentioned.
"So the aim is clear, but still modest and realistic, which I like. The way to improve has already been laid, and as we can see, the process has already begun."
