Ocon: “I wanted to show Verstappen that I was still here”

Si Esteban Ocon had to face a lot of criticism following his contact with Max Verstappen at the Brazilian GP, the Force India driver did not show weakness against the Dutchman this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

While he will be without a steering wheel for the 2019 season, the Frenchman had a nice battle with the driver Red Bull who took the last step of the podium. The 2015 GP3 Series champion finally had to retire following a mechanical problem.

“We lost oil and I had to go back. It's a shame because we did everything perfectly in this race, especially when it came to overtaking. Regardless, I want to thank everyone who supported me. I will be back soon ", affirmed the French pilot.

“The struggle with Verstappen was manly but I ironed it. We'll see what happens when I get a better car. It was hot but nice. It was a bit of a remake of the 2014 season (in F3). I knew he was going to finish in front and my team asked me to let go, but I wanted to show him that I was still there.", he added on Canal+.

“I have always had superb support from Mercedes. I will stay close to them in these difficult times. I will gain a lot of additional information that can be useful to me in 2020 if I have a steering wheel”, specified the French pilot.

Discover the analysis of the Abu Dhabi GP carried out by our special correspondents in AUTO issue 2193hebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.