Ocon on track with Renault from Abu Dhabi

The Diamond and Mercedes managed to reach an agreement to release Esteban Ocon of his reserve obligations with the German manufacturer before the traditional post-season tests which will take place in the wake of the last 2019 Grand Prix, in Abu Dhabi this week. The 23-year-old Frenchman will compete on the track in the yellow-and-black colors on December 3 and 4 at Yas Marina.

Although the former Force India driver has completed hundreds of laps in the Brackley simulator, he has not often had the opportunity to grind the asphalt this season, apart from during a few rare Pirelli testing days at Paul-Ricard. .

During negotiations with Mercedes, Renault had made the availability of the Norman in the United Arab Emirates a sine qua non condition. “It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s very important,” confided Alain Prost, non-executive director of Renault F1, in the wake of Ocon's recruitment at the end of the summer. Remember that last year, Red Bull refused to let go Daniel Ricciardo with his new employer before the end of his contract.