“I went back to the car and cried” – Esteban Ocon opens up about his unexpected year on F1 sidelines
Esteban Ocon has opened up about the 2019 Formula 1 season, which he spent as a Mercedes reserve driver following an unfavourable chain of events. Back in July 2018, Ocon was riding a wave of momentum. In his second full F1 campaign, the Mercedes protege was narrowly leading seasoned Force India team-mate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ standings, and had just outqualified him seven times in a ...…
Esteban Ocon, the current Haas F1 driver, reflected on his 2019 Formula 1 season in which he served as a reserve driver for Mercedes. Following a strong 2018, Ocon was poised to make a significant impact but was eventually sidelined. Mercedes opted to keep Valtteri Bottas as their driver alongside Lewis Hamilton, while Ocon was offered a chance to join McLaren, with whom he had been in advanced negotiations.
However, Renault secured his services, signing him prior to McLaren's plans to bring in Carlos Sainz. This left Ocon without a seat, forcing him to spend the season as a reserve driver for Mercedes, developing the car and testing whenever possible. Ocon expressed his disappointment with the situation, stating he was not happy and had to take on the responsibilities of two reserve drivers.
Despite limited testing opportunities, Ocon remained committed to the Mercedes reserve driver role, hoping to gain valuable technical feedback for his eventual return to competitive racing.
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