Esteban Ocon announced his Alpine exit at the Canadian GP. The Monaco crash with Pierre Gasly is believed to be the breaking point for the team to make this decision. Since then, the Frenchman has been looking for a team and Williams popped up as an option. However, Ocon’s height might be a deal breaker for James Vowles.
“Esteban came in for, not a real seat fit, but I wanted to evaluate him for 2025 and 2026”, confirmed Vowles to Autosport as per Motorsport Week. Explaining how Ocon’s dimensions are slightly different from Albon’s and why it might be a deal breaker, he added,
“I needed to do that because I need to actually ascertain whether he fits in the car or not. Because he’s, as is Alex, a tall chap, but his dimensions are a bit difficult in certain dimensions”.
EXCLUSIVE: Williams rules out #F1 move for Esteban Ocon ❌
James Vowles has admitted that the Grove-based team no longer considers Ocon an option for 2025, increasing Valtteri Bottas’ chances of a return…
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Nonetheless, Vowles went on to praise the 6ft 1in Frenchman as a fast driver by giving the example of how he beat Alonso in 2022. He further highlighted how Ocon will be considered for the 2025 seat. He has been a Mercedes driver and was managed by Toto Wolff and Vowles at that time. With Sainz delaying and Williams looking at other options, Ocon might be a good option.
Ocon is amongst the tallest drivers on the grid along with George Russell and Alex Albon. Interestingly, Russell has driven for Williams, and Albon is currently signed with the team. It shouldn’t be a big issue for the team to fit Ocon in the car. However, some changes might be structural, in which case it becomes a deal breaker.
If Williams decides not to go for Ocon because of his height, it wouldn’t be the first time for the Frenchman.
Ocon failed McLaren fitting back in 2018
Esteban Ocon was set to move to Renault after Stroll was reportedly going to replace him. But Renault signed Ricciardo and Ocon had to look for other options. One of them ended up being McLaren as Fernando Alonso announced his retirement.
The #31 driver tested for McLaren but wasn’t able to fit in the cockpit of the car. When asked about the same, Ocon confirmed as he said, “It’s true that I went, and it’s true that that happened”, according to Autoweek.com
An F1 car needs to be as close to the minimum weight along with the driver’s weight for maximum performance. Taller drivers are not only heavier but also affect the center of gravity.
The front of the car might have to develop around them if a driver has long legs. Russell had to wear a shoe that was a size smaller because his feet wouldn’t fit in the footwell. The weight also takes away the freedom of adding ballast if the combined weight is below the limit.
