P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes Young Driver Academy boss Gwen Lagrue has revealed the marque still manages Esteban Ocon’s Formula 1 career despite him
Esteban Ocon, a French driver, made his F1 debut with the Manor team in 2016, thanks to his ties with Mercedes. He then moved to Force India, now known as Aston Martin, and had a successful two seasons. However, he was not retained after Lawrence Stroll’s consortium took over the team and provided a seat for his son, Lance Stroll. Ocon became Mercedes’ reserve driver and later secured a seat at Renault, where he has been since. He partnered with Fernando Alonso in 2021-2022 and impressed with his performance, including his first victory in the Hungarian GP. Ocon will enter his fifth season with the Alpine team in 2024, but his contract expires at the end of this year and his career prospects are still guided by Mercedes. Despite a challenging 2023 season, Ocon aims to bounce back and perform better.
