Ocon: “This experience is an opportunity”

Committed both on the front of DTM with Mercedes, that in F1 with his duties as third pilot at Renault, Esteban Ocon returned to the star mark to take part in the tests organized since yesterday on the Silverstone track.

Most frequent driver on the track here with more than 120 laps on the clock, the defending champion in the GP3 Series admits to having quickly found the mode of operation of the car who currently dominates the world championship in the hands of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

« I had a great feeling driving the car. It took me a few laps to get used to it, as driving a Formula One car is still new to me, especially here at Silverstone as it has some high speed corners, explains the Norman who had competed in EL1 with Renault at the British Grand Prix.

 We needed to take advantage of the weather early on, as we knew it was going to rain in the afternoon, so we planned most of our schedule in the morning. The afternoon was a bit rough, but we still managed to continue and were able to complete our program. »

Despite fluctuating weather and track conditions, the Frenchman believes he has made progress in his approach to the operation of the Flèche d'Argent. “The conditions in the afternoon were quite difficult as it was constantly changing. In the end, I got really close to the limit, which was a really good feeling. But we managed to manage the situation well and it gave me the opportunity to gain experience in dry and wet weather conditions. »

If we should find the French driver on other occasions in the seat of the Renault RS16 in free practice during the year, the former European champion of F3 prefers to savor the present moment, before getting back behind the wheel of the W07 Hybrid this Wednesday. “It’s a great chance for a young driver like me to have this experience. »