Esteban Ocon has shared his experiences from 2019 in which he spent the season as a reserve driver for Mercedes. This stage became one of the most complicated moments of his career due to a series of unfortunate events.
A few years ago, Ocon experienced a minute of euphoria competing with Force India, where he managed to lead his teammate, Sergio Pérez, in the standings. Despite having an upward moment, the opportunities to race disappeared. “It was difficult,” he stated, emphasizing the confusion generated by the contract negotiations with Renault and McLaren.
Ocon, now a driver for Haas, explained that he lost the opportunity to compete when Daniel Ricciardo decided to leave Red Bull, which allowed Renault to sign him. Thus, Ocon was left without a seat and took on a reserve role at Mercedes, where he undertook tasks that required significant effort, being responsible for the car’s development.
“Knowing that the car was winning races while I was not behind the wheel was very tough,” he confessed. Despite the limited testing opportunities, Ocon made the most of his time to stay active, helping to develop Mercedes’ platform for the future.
With the responsibility of being the first reserve, Ocon deployed all his potential which, despite the frustrations experienced, led him to be included in the Renault program and to achieve his first victory at the Hungarian GP in 2020.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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