Ocon defends controversial Albon pass, calls F1 restart rule 'old-school'

Esteban Ocon has defended his controversial overtake on Alex Albon during a chaotic Dutch Grand Prix, insisting he did nothing wrong when he re-accelerated faster than the Williams driver at the end of a yellow-flag zone. The Haas driver's move earned a rebuke from Albon, but Ocon says the real problem is an outdated F1 rule that wiped out his position for the second start.

Why it matters:

The clash highlights a growing frustration among drivers over how F1 resets the grid after a red flag. Ocon's argument — that timing loops should determine the order rather than a line two kilometers back — raises questions about whether the sport is fully using its technology to ensure fairness.

The details:

• After Max Verstappen crashed and Gabriel Bortoleto spun on a damp Zandvoort track, Ocon accelerated past Albon as the yellow flag zone ended, just after the start/finish line.
• Albon radioed: "I'm sorry, but what Esteban did is crazy. He's overtaking me in the middle of the crash."
• Ocon countered that the track was green when he made the move, so it was legal.
• However, because the red flag came after the field passed sector one, the classification for the restart reverted to the end of lap one — erasing Ocon's overtake.
• "We are not going to believe that in Formula 1 we don't have timing loops every 20 metres," Ocon said. "It's a very old-school rule, really."
• Ocon pitted early on lap 16 in search of free air but retired on lap 53 with a power unit issue, leaving him 14th.

What's next:

Ocon believes the rule should be updated to use the last timing moment before a red flag. While he admits strategy could have been better, his frustration points to a broader call for F1 to modernize how race order is determined in chaotic situations.