French racing driver Esteban Ocon is currently competing in Formula One for Haas. He secured Alpine’s best result when he won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Nationality | French |
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Born | Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane 17 September 1996 Évreux, France |
Ocon’s breakthrough year came in 2014 when he drove for Prema Racing in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. In a dominant season, Ocon secured the championship title, beating the likes of Tom Blomqvist and Max Verstappen, who would later become a multiple Formula One World Champion, earning him recognition as a potential future star in Formula One.
Following his Formula 3 success, Ocon joined ART Grand Prix for the 2015 GP3 Series. He continued his winning form, capturing the championship and helping him secure a position within the Mercedes Junior Team, where he would spend the next few years developing under the guidance of one of Formula One’s most successful teams.
Ocon’s efforts paid off. He made his Formula One debut in 2016 with Manor Racing at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Rio Haryanto for the remainder of the season. While Manor was not competitive, Ocon completed the season alongside teammate Pascal Wehrlein and impressed many up and down the paddock his consistency despite the limitations of the car.
In 2017, Ocon moved to Force India (later rebranded as Racing Point), where he partnered Sergio Perez. Ocon quickly established himself as a talented and reliable driver, scoring points consistently and demonstrating his racing abilities. His best result in 2017 was a fifth-place finish at the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix. Ocon continued to perform well in 2018, despite occasional on-track clashes with his teammate Perez. However, after the team was taken over and rebranded as Racing Point, Ocon lost his seat at the end of the 2018 season, making way for Lance Stroll, whose father led the consortium that purchased the team.
After leaving Racing Point, Ocon spent the 2019 season as a reserve driver for Mercedes. During this time, he helped the team with testing and car development while waiting for an opportunity to return to the grid. Ocon’s year at Mercedes kept him in touch with the sport, and he made his return in 2020 with Renault, partnering with Daniel Ricciardo. In his comeback season, Ocon achieved his first Formula One podium at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, finishing second in a chaotic race.
In 2021, Renault rebranded as Alpine, and Ocon stayed on to partner two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso. Ocon’s standout moment came at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he took his maiden Formula One victory.
In 2022, despite a podium-less season, Ocon made headlines for becoming the first teammate to outscore Alonso in the championship since Jenson Button in 2015. He continued to perform well for Alpine, and in 2023, Ocon secured his third career podium at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
As of the end of the 2024 season, Ocon will leave Alpine and join Haas for the 2025 season.