Esteban Ocon is not yet sure that Force India will race at Spa
Difficult return to school for Esteban Ocon and the entire Force India team: on the eve of the first free practice sessions, there is still no guarantee that the Pink Panthers will be able to take to the track at Spa-Francorchamps.
We have rarely seen so many people in front of the Force India garage or motorhome. But on this day of paddock gathering after the summer break, the Silverstone team is attracting all the attention. After entering administration, the team was bought by investors led by Lawrence Stroll.
But the future of the structure is still fraught with question marks. One reason is that due to Vijay Mallya’s financial problems in India, it was decided to sell the team’s assets to another legal entity. This means that the company holding the right to participate in the F1 World Championship no longer has the assets (including the cars) to compete. The other company is in exactly the opposite situation.
Obviously questioned on the subject, Esteban Ocon indicated that as of now, no agreement had yet been reached among the various parties for the two cars to hit the track tomorrow morning: « I don’t know. I’ve heard there are discussions. I think it should be resolved. I’m ready to drive and perform on the track. For the moment, it’s not done. F1 can’t do without this team. »
As a result, the entire team prepared as usual, with the assembly of the cars and the traditional Thursday morning track walk. The preparations also saw the withdrawal of some sponsors, notably Kingfisher, which was owned by Vijay Mallya.
Beyond this Belgian weekend, there are also many questions about the immediate future of the driver as numerous reports suggest a possible move to McLaren as early as next week at Monza. He would then be replaced by Lance Stroll, whose father has just bought Force India. His friendship with the Canadian driver will not impact the future of the two men: « I have a good relationship with Lance, for sure. I’m not friends with him out of interest. I’m friends with him because he’s a cool guy. But it’s a possibility that I stay here. »
If the situation is far from ideal for the young Frenchman, he nevertheless considers himself calm about his future and believes he has experienced worse when he did not have a seat after his F3 title. He then received support from Mercedes, which pushed him towards the GP3 title and then F1. Esteban Ocon reaffirms that Toto Wolff continues to fully support him and that the latter is working tirelessly to secure him a seat in F1: « I trust them. As long as nothing is signed, there is never anything certain. There are opportunities in other places, and there are here. As long as I get good results, I’m not worried. You shouldn’t be afraid. »
He therefore sees his future only in F1, as a main driver. Any other outcome would be “a real disappointment.” It remains to be seen with which team.
From our special correspondent at Spa-Francorchamps
