Ocon on year not in F1: "In 2019 I had some real low points"

Brand new Grand Prix winner Esteban Ocon is talking about a tough year in 2019. The Frenchman was then sidelined by Racing Point (now Aston Martin) and could not find a seat in Formula One.

Ocon can still remember it well. In 2019, the Frenchman was a test driver for Mercedes, but hoped to race in Formula 1 again soon. For a full year, the fast Ocon was out of the picture until he was picked up by Renault.

However, he did make good use of the year on the sidelines. In his year as Mercedes test driver, Ocon says to German RTL 'he worked alone in the dark, with no spotlights and no one seeing'. "In 2019 I had some real low points. I had doubts whether it would pay off," Ocon admits. Yet the Alpine driver believed it would all pay off one day.

In 2019, Ocon at least made sure to seize every opportunity to drive an F1 car. "If I show I'm motivated, it doesn't matter if it's a film day or a winter test, I'll be there. If there's a chance, I'll jump in the car," Ocon said.

Eventually, Ocon made his return to Formula 1 after just one year. With Renault, he immediately went to battle for P3 in the championship with his team. Although that didn't work out, he can look back on a successful first year back in F1.