Esteban Ocon got off to a wonderful start into the 2021 season. With points in four of his five races, he has vastly surpassed his better-known F1 team-mate Fernando Alonso. So you have to think that he deserves to stay with Alpine for the next season. But does the Mercedes graduate worry that his team might be looking for other drivers from the field to replace him?
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“At the moment I’m just concentrating on doing the job that I have to do on the track, namely performing in the car, getting the most out of it and thinking about what we can improve. Hopefully, as long as I’m fine, I’ll be fine. So we’ll see, ”he said.
He added: “Right now I’m more focused than anything on the track. And I let my management side do the work [the contract]. ”
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Formula 1 F1 – Spanish Grand Prix – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – May 7, 2021 Esteban Ocon from Alpine in action during practice REUTERS / Albert Gea
Mercedes will of course continue to take care of his management matters. He is a graduate of the driver academy after signing as a young talent in 2016. It was the German manufacturers who helped him land a gig at engine customer Sahara Force India in 2017.
Even after the team dropped him at the end of the 2018 season, Mercedes cushioned his fall. They named him their replacement driver for the 2019 campaign. In 2020, he was consistently linked to partner Lewis Hamilton. But after they kept Bottas, he brought his talents to Renault. Despite being with a competing manufacturer, his financial affairs are still overseen by Toto Wolff and Mercedes.
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Is a Mercedes return in 2022 an option for Esteban Ocon?
No driver on the grid would turn down a chance to drive for a top team like Mercedes. But the question is: do you have a free place for him?
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SUZUKA, JAPAN – OCTOBER 11: Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain and Mercedes GP and Esteban Ocon from France and Mercedes GP speak in the paddock after practice for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit on October 11, 2019 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Thompson / Getty Images)
Despite his results this season, the Silver Arrows are unlikely to bring him back. Even if Bottas were to be replaced, George Russell would be the best candidate for the takeover. And when Hamilton retires, it is likely that they will keep Bottas to play the team role more effectively.
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But Formula 1 is full of surprises, so you can never say never.
The post Mercedes takes care of my F1 contract talks with Alpine: Esteban Ocon first appeared on monter-une-startup.Did you miss our previous article...
https://formulaone.news/mercedes/kann-die-f1-windkanle-bis-2030-wirklich-aufgeben
