Former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has recently recounted an amusing comment made by television personality Jeremy Clarkson following Esteban Ocon’s podium finish at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. Szafnauer shared the anecdote on the High Performance Racing podcast, detailing Clarkson’s unique celebration for the Enstone-based outfit.
Clarkson, who frequently refers to Alpine as his ‘local team’ due to the proximity of his Diddly Squat Farm to their factory, had publicly vowed to reward the team with beer if one of their drivers secured a podium finish in Monaco.
Esteban Ocon achieved this goal, finishing third in the challenging 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull Racing, with Fernando Alonso taking second for Aston Martin.
True to his word, Clarkson arrived at Alpine’s Enstone factory with a Lamborghini tractor pulling a large farm trailer filled with hay and approximately 1,000 bottles of his Hawkstone beer.
Ocon was present to assist Clarkson in distributing the six-packs to the team members. During the celebrations, with Ocon holding a microphone, Clarkson reportedly yelled, ‘That’s ’cause I’m not French!’
The 2023 season proved challenging for Alpine, with the A523 car demonstrating inconsistent performance across various circuits. Ocon’s Monaco podium was a highlight in a year where the team ultimately finished sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Otmar Szafnauer, who served as Alpine’s Team Principal at the time, departed the team in July 2023. He has since taken on the role of CEO and Managing Partner for Van Amersfoort Racing, an F2 and F3 team, a position he assumed in February 2026.
Clarkson’s support for Alpine has continued beyond the 2023 Monaco event. His Diddly Squat Farm also supplied locally sourced food, produce, condiments, and beverages for Alpine’s hospitality at the 2026 British Grand Prix.
The farm, co-founded by Clarkson and Lisa Hogan, is located just six miles from Alpine’s Enstone base, reinforcing the ‘local team’ connection.
This partnership for the British Grand Prix saw Alpine’s current drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, consuming authentic British dishes prepared from Diddly Squat Farm ingredients.
Clarkson has maintained his tradition of delivering Hawkstone beer for Alpine podiums, repeating the gesture after the team secured a double podium finish at the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon, the driver central to the original Monaco incident, is currently competing for Haas in the 2026 Formula 1 season, having signed a multi-year contract with the team ahead of the 2025 campaign.
