(Motorsport-Total.com) – Esteban Ocon becomes 220585 to return to Formula 1 – but not with Mercedes. The Frenchman was indeed a candidate for the second cockpit next to Lewis Hamilton. But ultimately, the Silver Arrows decided to continue with Valtteri Bottas. Ocon will instead switch to Renault . “Many factors played a role,” explains team boss Toto Wolff.
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Esteban Ocon is looking forward to working with Alain Prost Zoom Download
“We believed in Esteban for a long time, and he made very good progress, we had the power of Manor [2016] and later Force India [2017 und 2018], and it worked well” Wolff recalls and adds: “After a year without a cockpit we had to decide if we could still save him, he would have liked to drive next to Lewis, […] but would that be a good time?”
“I think that the situation at Renault for a French driver, in a French factory team and with [Daniel] Ricciardo as referee nz is better for his career. It is (****************************************) years old and can still *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Nico Rosberg was “four or five years at Williams”.
Ocon & Renault: A good consolation prize
We analyze in Paddock in Spa why Renault is a good choice for Esteban Ocon *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Rosberg came 2010 with Williams in the Formula 1, changed 29 to Mercedes and became with the Silver Arrows Esteban and Renault speak, “says Wolff. And at the same time, there are many arguments that have spoken in favor of Bottas. “We had very difficult years with Nico and Lewis,” he recalls.
There has been “controversy, rivalry and animosity” in the time. “That was very bad in terms of the atmosphere,” says Wolff. With Bottas on the side of Hamilton, the team is much more harmonious. That was “a reason for this decision”. “The other is that Valtteri plays against the five-time World Champion Hamilton and doing a very good job,” Wolff explains
Ocon is already looking forward to it his new job at Renault – and above all, the collaboration with consultant, compatriot and former World Champion Alain Prost. The two had already talked a lot. “As a mentor, there is no better,” says Ocon happily, explaining that he feels “well prepared” for his new task.
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