Since 2020, Esteban Ocon has showcased his prowess as a formidable driver for Alpine. However, as he approaches the final year of his contract, uncertainties arise. Ocon, who with help from Fernando Alonso secured his inaugural Grand Prix win in Hungary, has become synonymous with the Enstone-based squad. Despite the strong connection, recent reports are suggesting Mercedes is still actively managing Ocon’s F1 career, and this influence is hurting him.
Ocon’s history with Mercedes dates back to 2015 when he became part of the Mercedes Young Driver Academy. Given this longstanding relationship, Gwen Largue, the Director of the Mercedes Young Driver Academy, has disclosed their potential engagement with Ocon. While talking to The Race Largue said,
“He is still very close to us. He is an Alpine driver and is completely committed to Alpine, but we are still managing his career.”
Shortly after joining Mercedes’ academy, the team loaned him to Renault, where he served as a third driver. Then, with Mercedes’ assistance again, Ocon made his Formula 1 debut with Manor. Moving forward, he shifted to Force India in the subsequent year, maintaining his association with the team until 2018, right before it became Racing Point.
Consequently, he returned to Mercedes as a third driver. After a period of being on the sidelines, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff played a pivotal role in assisting Ocon. Wolff facilitated Ocon’s move to Alpine (formerly Renault), where he currently competes alongside Pierre Gasly.
But the fact that he is a Mercedes reserve, but is still driving for a French team seems to put Ocon in an awkward situation.
Why Mercedes’ influence is hurting Esteban Ocon?
Toto Wolff and Mercedes have been actively managing Esteban Ocon’s career. In 2019, Ocon even assumed the role of the third driver for the team. However, since his move to the Alpine team, an unusual situation has arisen regarding Ocon’s return to the Mercedes garage. In light of this, reporters posed an interesting query to Toto Wolff in a 2021 interview regarding Ocon’s status as a possible future contender for Mercedes.
In response Wolff said,
“Esteban, it’s a little bit of a weird situation, because he’s been a Mercedes junior for a long time, and he’s an Alpine works driver now and that’s fact.”
However, despite the unusual nature of Ocon’s situation, Wolff views it positively. While underscoring Ocon’s progress, the Austrian remarked that within the Alpine garage, the French driver is maturing and delivering consistent performances. Moreover, while concluding, he claimed that before considering any options for Ocon, discussions should take place between Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi and Ocon himself.
