“I am convinced of that”: Esteban Ocon believes he can beat Max Verstappen for World Championship if Alpine fields competitive car

Max Verstappen just had a record-breaking season, winning 15 races in 2022. He came into the campaign on the back of a grueling Title fight with Lewis Hamilton but coasted towards his second consecutive Championship this year.

Verstappen faced little resistance from other teams and drivers in 2022, and that was down to the RB18’s superiority. Charles Leclerc put up a fight in the initial stages but his Title hopes faded away as the F1-75’s performance deteriorated. The 25-year-old Dutchman ended up winning the Title with four races to spare.

Esteban Ocon meanwhile, finished in P8, 11 points ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso. Ocon had a brilliant season and helped Alpine seal P4 in the Constructors’ Championship However, the Frenchman is now aiming for bigger achievements in the coming years and is sure that he has what it takes to compete for wins and Titles.

In an interview with NOS, Ocon insisted that he has complete belief in himself that he can defeat Verstappen in an equal car and challenge for the World Championship.

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Esteban Ocon is confident and convinced he can take on Max Verstappen

Ocon praised Verstappen for his World Title wins in 2021 and 2022. He stated that his wins are completely deserved and he is proud of having been his contemporary in the junior categories while growing up.

“Max is a shining representative of my generation,” the 26-year-old said. “He is one of the greats of this sport.”

When asked if he can go up against Verstappen if Alpine fielded a competitive car, he replied with a resounding yes. “I am convinced of that. And I have to be. If you don’t believe in yourself, you are already hopeless in this sport.”

Ocon added that he trusts Alpine to field a race winning car before his contract runs out at the end of the 2024 season.

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Ocon comments on relationship with Verstappen

Verstappen and Ocon had an infamous and ugly spat back during the 2018 Brazilian GP. The two drivers made contact with compromised the Red Bull driver’s race. After the event, they met up in the garage, where they had a violent (and almost physical) argument.

Today, however, Ocon insists that things are fine between them. The Evreux born driver insists that they have a lot of respect for one another and get along well. “We get along fine now and have a lot of respect for each other. I wish him all the best,” he said.

Ocon also praised Verstappen for being a dominant force in the karting circuit when the two of them were kids.