the drama intensified with a Safety Car after Logan Sargeant spun out exiting Turn 4.
Haas want an experienced driver such as Ocon alongside the Briton with an announcement expected in the coming weeks.
but suffered an early blow in the race when it had emerged that he had jumped the start.
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon uneasily joined forces at Alpine when Gasly signed onto the French outfit ahead of the 2023 season.