Esteban Ocon desperately turns to Toto Wolff after falling behind Max Verstappen in Formula 3

Before securing his seat in the Alpine, French driver Esteban Ocon faced several challenges and successes along the way. In 2019, Ocon lost his seat at Racing Points after being replaced by Lance Stroll. The 27-year-old was reportedly offered the role of reserve driver at Mercedes, which he accepted. After his stint with Silver Arrows, Alpine (then Renault) signed him to a contract.

Analysts speculate that his experience with one of the top-tier teams like Mercedes helped him secure a seat at Alpine, allowing him to continue touring with the racing circus. After his childhood struggles where his parents had to sell their house and live in a caravan, Okon shared his past experiences on the High Performance podcast.

Esteban Ocon was desperate for a Mercedes opportunity

As far as reports go, the Brackley-based team and Toto Wolff have had a significant impact on Okon’s career on previous occasions as well. Recently, the French driver shared another incident where he endlessly reached out to Wolf for help. The incident dates back to 2015, just after Ocon won the F3 Euro Championship title, where Max Verstappen finished third.

He said, “During this transition from 2014-15 I was constantly calling Toto on phone and asking him if there was any solution for me as I met him that year. Because I won with a Mercedes engine in F3. With Gwen, Toto, and Fred Va*seur, we found a solution to continue racing and be able to race in GP3 and I also won the title, so I took part in the Mercedes junior program.”

Turning to the leadership of the Austrian team, whom he had met during his championship win, and his relationship with Mercedes, Ocon stepped in to help. It was the early days that led to a strong relationship between Okon and Wolff. Time and again, the Mercedes boss supported the driver at various stages of his career.

Ocon and father Max and Jos Verstappen took a strong stand

Like many Formula 1 drivers, Ocon and Verstappen entered their motorsport journey through karting. They engaged in intense rivalry throughout their childhood. When he was unable to continue racing in 2014, Esteban Ocon found himself in a difficult spot. However, he found his way back into motorsport through the Mercedes junior program.

📰: Esteban Ocon has opened up about his feelings about Max Verstappen’s promotion to Formula 1, admitting he was “upset” at the time. Despite their longstanding rivalry since their karting days, Okon revealed that he and his father were never intimidated by Jos… pic.twitter.com/BpDQku153K

— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) March 19, 2024

Reflecting on their teenage years, Ocon recalled the intense rivalry he had with Verstappen. he said “It was very exciting, but everyone was a bit scared of Jose and Max because Jose had driven in Formula 1 before, so he’s known for how violent and how scary he can be…but my dad and I, we were never afraid. We didn’t, because we just wanted to race.”

Esteban Ocon provides a detailed account of his meeting with Max Verstappen, highlighting Jose Verstappen’s F1 background which initially made him feel overshadowed. However, Ocon continued to race despite this realization. He described how his father, Laurent Ocon, supported him, even when facing Verstappens. Still, Okon admits to finding joy in competing with the reigning champion.