Esteban Ocon faced challenges in his racing career while Max Verstappen secured a spot at Toro Rosso in the 2015 F1 season. Verstappen and Ocon have been fierce competitors since their karting days, racing against each other in various championships, including the 2014 Formula 3 European Championship. However, it was Verstappen who was chosen to join Formula 1 with Toro Rosso, while Ocon struggled to continue his racing journey.
In the 2014 Formula 3 European Championship, Verstappen emerged as the winner, while Ocon finished in third place. Unfortunately, Ocon did not receive opportunities like his future F1 champion rival. Additionally, the Lotus F1 driver academy, which supported Ocon, was on the verge of closure, putting his entire career at risk.
During this period, Ocon constantly approached the Mercedes boss in hopes of securing a racing opportunity. Having won the F3 Euro title with a Mercedes engine, the French driver was eager to continue pursuing his racing dream. Ocon expressed his frustration during the transition from 2014 to 2015, stating that the circumstances were unfair compared to Max Verstappen’s debut in F1 at 17 years old.
With the help of Toto Wolff and his team, Ocon managed to secure a budget to participate in the GP3 series in 2015. He ended up winning the championship that year, gaining the support of the Mercedes driver academy. This eventually led Ocon to make his F1 debut in the middle of the 2016 season with the Manor F1 team. During the 2018 Brazilian GP, Ocon had a collision with Verstappen while trying to overtake him.
Ocon admitted that, although he was not completely frustrated by not being hired by an F1 team for the 2015 season, he was concerned about his own survival in the racing world due to lack of funding. He credited Toto Wolff for saving his F1 career in the past. Despite moving to Alpine, Ocon continues to be managed by Mercedes and has become a prominent mid-field competitor in the F1 field. Verstappen, on the other hand, has become a F1 world champion and established himself as one of the greatest drivers in history.
