Esteban Ocon: “My main goal is to drive for Mercedes”

Finding a starting seat, here is the primary objective ofEsteban Ocon for 2020. Left without a steering wheel by Racing Point, at the time of the arrival of Lance stroll within the team bought by a consortium led by his father Lawrence, the Frenchman was offered a place as a reserve driver with his employer Mercedes.

Assigned in particular to simulator work to work around the W10, Esteban Ocon thus maintains contact with the bosom of the F1, but the Norman does not hide his lack of track time.

“The news of not being among the 20 drivers on the grid this year was hard to swallow, especially with the performances achieved in 2018, comments Ocon, interviewed in the RMC show Motors. I was happy in my team, and my management team was happy with what I was doing.

What interests me the most is to come back to F1, to drive and to rediscover the taste when starting a Grand Prix. It’s definitely difficult for me not to ride this year. It's something I miss a lot. I have worked my whole career to get here.

My goal is to find a seat as quickly as possible. My management is working hard to find solutions, so let's hope we find them quickly. »

The former GP3 Series champion could well be one of the pivots of the transfer market, his name regularly coming up in several rumors in recent weeks. "It's just rumors, tempers Ocon. There is obviously nothing confirmed. As long as everyone is talking about us, that means we are not forgotten in the F1 world. »

Mercedes in the viewfinder

The Frenchman, however, keeps his major objective in sight, in addition to possible seats in client teams of the star engine manufacturer. “All the tracks remain alive, Mercedes is very open-minded, even if it is another engine. I'm managed by Mercedes, it's different. I can be loaned to other teams. The brand doesn't necessarily want to put me at Mercedes. My main objective is to drive for Mercedes with the official team. »

Privileged observer of the more than successful start of the Silver Arrows season, Lewis Hamilton et Valtteri Bottas dominating the general classification, Ocon recalls that internal race management offers a real challenge to the men of Toto wolff.

“Even if it looks easy from the outside, it’s really not simple, says Ocon. There are constant debates on the pitwall, and since I am fully integrated into the team, I see everything that happens. Toto Wolff never stops communicating with the wall. The strategists talk non-stop for two hours, and the debates are heated. »