Could Ocon's links with Mercedes open the doors to Brackley for him?

Since four years, Esteban Ocon is an official driver Alpine, at the full disposal of the stableenstone, but it is still managed by… Mercedes. Strange, you might say! The incongruity can actually be explained very simply. In May 2015, the Norman joined the Mercedes fold, after coming very close to the end of his career due to lack of resources.

At the time, Toto wolff saw “a very talented young man, one of the stars of the future” and did not hesitate to say it. So much so that the German team decided to exercise the option it had on the Frenchman by signing him to the academy, in order to reward him for his great year in the GP3 Series with ART Grand Prix (champion in 2015). ). Since then, the Norman has been managed by the star. 

Esteban Ocon, fed by the star

His first four years in F1 were also marked with the imprint of the German manufacturer, since he drove at Manor in 2016 powered by a Mercedes engine, then at Force India/Racing Point in 2017 and 2018 still powered by a Brixworth power unit, before serve as a reserve driver directly within the Brackley team in 2019.

A message from @LewisHamilton 📝 pic.twitter.com/3TuDHLZNkU

- Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) February 4, 2024

At that time, the Norman had also been widely considered by Toto Wolff and his teams with a view to potentially replacing Valtteri Bottas alongside Lewis Hamilton for 2020 and 2021. After several weeks of negotiations, the Finn finally managed to keep his seat. Behind, Mercedes had still done everything possible to ensure that the Norman regained a starting place, by agreeing to give him up to Renault (became Alpine) from 2020, but retaining management of his career.

The reason is simple, Mercedes having invested in the Habs for several years, it was out of the question for Brackley to let Esteban slip away completely and not obtain a return on investment. So obviously, at a time when Lewis Hamilton decided to create an earthquake by announcing his departure for Ferrari As of 2025, speculation around the identity of his replacement began to rage. And the contractual link already existing between the German manufacturer and Ocon immediately made the Frenchman a plausible candidate.

The Norman does not say no to Mercedes

In Enstone, as a fine strategist and communicator, the main person concerned did not fail to keep up the rumors during the presentation of the A524. “I have always had close ties with Mercedes, he recalled astutely. I am still a Mercedes junior driver. This has always been the case, even though I am no longer a junior driver. I’m under contract with them, one way or another.” 

Asked about possible contacts he could have had with Toto Wolff in recent days, Esteban nevertheless preferred to kick in. “For the moment, I devote myself entirely to Alpine. It's my priority. I have to do a good job on the track, as always. Every year is a crucial year in Formula 1, it doesn't matter if you have a contract or not. If you don't perform well, you can be kicked out. If you do a good job, there will always be discussions, rumors and good things for you. Because as long as we’re talking about you, that means what you’re doing on the track is good.” 

cool few days 🧊💙 now back to work! 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/WZYuFsgOe2

- Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) January 3, 2024

End of contract in 2024 at Alpine, Esteban Ocon would not be against the idea of ​​a change of scenery in 2025 after four tiring years spent with Enstone. Beyond his Mercedes management contract, is he really a candidate to join George Russell at Brackley? Regarding the identity of Lewis Hamilton's replacement, Toto Wolff explained that he would take his time, aware of being in a certain position of strength.

The future Mercedes driver in 2025 will depend on what the team really wants to do. Would she like to entrust George Russell alone with leadership of the team, and install a Bottas-style profile at his side? On the contrary, will she want to convince a second leader, like Fernando Alonso ? The main Austrian team has not ruled out the idea of ​​making a very daring decision. Was he thinking of directly signing the young nugget of the star Andrea Kimi Antonelli from 2025 in the event of a big season in Formula 2 ?

Everything seems extremely open on the market, and it is very likely that Toto himself has not made any decisions, so as to leave open some possible market opportunities. For the moment, Esteban Ocon does not really start with the status of favorite, but who knows... F1 has this charming thing that the truth of one day is never really that of the next.

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