Esteban Ocon remembers his 2019 mishap
Among the drivers without a contract at the end of the season, Esteban Ocon has already experienced the pain of finding himself without a seat. An ordeal he intends to remember in order to prepare for his future.

A heated dog fears cold water, says the proverb. In the transfer game, Esteban Ocon is well experienced. The Frenchman had a difficult start to his F1 career. He began by breaking through with the modest Manor team in the middle of the 2016 season. His success allowed him to overshadow his rival within the Mercedes family, Pascal Wehrlein, and progress in the hierarchy by signing with Force India. After two good seasons there, he found himself without a drive at the end of 2018 when the team brought in Lance Stroll following its acquisition by the Canadian driver’s father. He then spent the 2019 season on the sidelines as a reserve driver for Mercedes.
The German manufacturer had eventually agreed to release him so that he could join Renault from 2020, a team he is still part of today. In the Miami paddock, the Norman driver vividly remembers the situation and is determined not to find himself in the same situation at the end of a transfer market that has rarely been as busy in recent years.
Interviewed by MotorsInside.com, he thus declared: « I had a bad experience and not for reasons of performance. At the time, it was due to misunderstandings and political reasons. This was disappointing at the end of 2018. We had the opportunity to sign with a team for 2019 but it didn’t happen due to misunderstandings. So we have experience on the subject and of course we are much better prepared now. In F1, anything can happen but all I can do is try to be competitive on the track. I believe that in the end, that’s all that matters. If that changes, my love for the sport will disappear but we’re not there yet. »
Esteban Ocon did not fail to remind that he believes in the project carried by the team for a long time now and that he committed to three additional years at the end of 2021 to prove his commitment: “We wanted stability in the team and I think it’s a very good thing. It takes time to work with the team’s people and to extract the maximum from the car. I think I am much better now than two or three years ago. Having stability allows us to know each other better. It’s not just the pilot’s experience but the experience together. A longer contract is always more interesting.”
From our special correspondent in Miami