Nationality: French
Birthday: 17 September 1996
Current team: Haas
Previous teams: Manor, Force India, Renault/Alpine
Number: 31
Strengths: Natural speed, midfield experience, ultra-smooth style, wet weather
Weaknesses: Not a team player, bad decisions, insecurity
Strongest tracks: Belgium, Monaco, Saudi Arabia
Weakest tracks: Azerbaijan, Singapore, Texas
Statistics
Grand Prix wins: 1
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest laps: 1
Podiums: 4
World Championships: 0
F1 teammate record H2H
Total Q record: 68-91
Total R record: 75-83
| Teammate | Q record | R record |
| Bearman (2025) | 5-2 | 4-3 |
| Gasly (2023-24) | 20-24 | 22-21 |
| Alonso (2021-22) | 21-22 | 21-21 |
| Ricciardo (2020) | 3-14 | 4-13 |
| Perez (2017-18) | 17-23 | 18-22 |
| Wehrlein (2016) | 2-6 | 6-3 |
Pre-F1 championship results
Won GP3 (2015)
Won European F3 (2014)
3rd in Formula Renault 2.0 (2013)
Career analysis
Esteban Ocon has already had a long career in the midfield. With an impressive junior career, he was promoted to F1 at a young age in 2016. He performed well in races compared to teammate Pascal Wehrlein and was rewarded with a Force India contract, mainly due to his Mercedes-connection.
His two season at Force India were impressive, considering his age. He lost to teammate Sergio Pérez in both qualifying and races, but Perez was at his peak, and Ocon was still getting used to Formula One. His development stalled a bit as he couldn’t find a drive for 2019, and he was still rusty by the time he returned for Renault the following year and lost quite clearly to Daniel Ricciardo.
Things took a turn in 2021. Ocon’s qualifying pace improved and he still showed his trademark consistency throughout the year. Though ultimately beaten by Fernando Alonso in a close matchup, Ocon proved his worth and even scored a fortunate win at the Hungaroring.
His two final seasons at Alpine were less exciting, mainly because the team went back in performance. Ocon was roughly equal to teammate and countryman Pierre Gasly, but he fell out with management and lost his seat before the final race of the season.
Ocon’s time in F1 has been marked by his notorious disdain for teammates. He races his teammates much more aggressively than he does other drivers, and this has been an issue, especially in terms of reputation. Despite Ocon being quite fast and consistent, it’s unlikely he will ever earn a top seat due to his personality and behavior. He seems insecure in many ways.
He is, however, a perfect midfield driver, and Haas did a scoop when they obtained Ocon. The Frenchman is a great racer who can score points whenever the car shows a bit of performance, and he is also consistently showing the same level throughout the year. With excellent wet weather skills and occasional peak performances, it’s possible that Ocon can secure Haas its first podium at some point. We consider him a bit underrated in terms of performance and Ocon could definitely be a positive surprise in 2025.