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Distil Esteban Ocon’s time at Alpine/Renault into a sizzle reel and it would appear brilliant, but a more thorough dig through tells a less satisfying story. Edd Straw looks at the ups and downs of Ocon’s five F1 seasons with the team
If you were to distill Esteban Ocon’s five seasons at Alpine/Renault into a sizzle reel, it would look brilliant, featuring highlights such as his Hungaroring victory in 2021 and impressive overachievements. However, a closer look at his career with the team reveals a less satisfying story, marked by the team’s midfield trajectory. Despite occasional podium finishes, Ocon spent much of his time running between 7th and 12th position, with his good work often resulting in minor results. While he showed improvement over the years, his performance was overshadowed at times by teammates like Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly. Ocon’s solid contributions were consistent but did not elevate him to the status of a top driver, as Mercedes ultimately did not promote him.
