Verstappen made a clean start to maintain his pole position lead over Alonso into the first corner, with the Red Bull using medium starting tyres.
Disaster struck at the second restart when Ocon and Gasly collided, leaving Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer to despair.
It was definitely something that neither Ocon nor his team were expecting in the very first race of the season.
Verstappen took the lead from the go, switching his starting set of soft tyres for another set on Lap 14 before switching to hards on Lap 36.
If their early racing competition caused stress, Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly both claim they want a healthy working relationship as teammates.
The launch plans for their 2023 car have been announced by Alpine, the fourth Formula One team. On February 16th, the new A523 will be unveiled.
Esteban Ocon doesn't think Pierre Gasly, his new Formula 1 teammate, will need much assistance learning Alpine and thinks he will be a "excellent addition" in 2023.
Following several changes at the team in recent years, Esteban Ocon claims he is "certainly more calm" working with the current Alpine Formula 1 management set-up.
Ocon claimed it had been his best season to date in Formula One, a sentiment confirmed by his highest points total in a single season.
Esteban Ocon said he had to "raise my game as much as I could" to defeat Fernando Alonso during their time as Alpine Formula 1 teammates.