Esteban Ocon is someone who can pull off sharp overtaking maneuvers at high speeds and have full control of his car while doing so.
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When one thinks of the best races of the 2021 Formula One season, the Hungarian GP is definitely one of them. A race that was packed with drama right from the get-go and that saw an unusual standing start with only Lewis Hamilton starting from the grid while others started from the pit lane. The biggest highlight of the day, however, was the image of the Alpine engineers cheering on the checkered flag from the pit lane as their young talent Esteban Ocon handed them their first ever victory in Formula One. The win had been a long time coming for the Frenchman who was seen as one of the brightest prospects in the sport. With a veteran like Fernando Alonso as his teammate, Ocon surely has learned a lot and it shows in his feisty race craft. Much like his teammate, Ocon is someone who can pull off sharp overtaking maneuvers at high speeds and have full control of his car while doing so.
So far in Formula One, Ocon has been a part of four teams. His career in the sport started with Manor Racing in 2016 and continued with Force India in 2017 and 2018. The Frenchman was Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2019 before joining Renualt in 2020. Today, he is a part of Alpine-Renault alongside Alonso since 2021 and he has notched up one race win under his belt. His best finish in the driver’s championship came in 2017 when he finished in eighth place with Force India.
Born in Evreux, Normandy in 1996, Ocon was not quite as privileged as his peers growing up. The Frenchman was born to Sabrine Khelfane and Laurent Ocon, who ran a garage in his home town. To fund Esteban’s go-karting career, his dad had to sell their family home which even included his garage. Esteban would then live and travel to races in a caravan which he also used as a motor home.
Ocon’s karting career started in 2006 and the very next year, he won his first championship. He came first in the Championnat de France – Minime in 2007 and the Championnat de France – Cadet in 2008. Two years later, he won the French Cup -KF3. 2011 would see him win three titles, the Trofio Grifone -KF3, the Grand Prix Open Karting -KF3, and the Championnat de France -KF3.
In 2012, the Frenchman made his debut in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 with Koiranen Motorsport. He finished 14th in that competition. Ocon also took part in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps with the same team that year and finished in seventh place. In 2013, he took part in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 again with the ART Junior Team and finished in third place.
From 2014 to 2015, Ocon won a couple of championships, one of which was the 2014 Formula 3 championship. The Frenchman was a part of the Prema Powerteam at the time and he managed to secure first place in the championship with 21 podiums and 15 pole positions. In 2015, he won the GP3 Series with ART Grand Prix, bagging 14 podiums and three pole positions.
Ocon’s first taste of Formula One came in 2016 for Manor Racing when he had to replace Rio Haryanto for the final nine races of the season. In a backwarmer car, Ocon failed to score a single point that season, but his driving style certainly made in impact on the bigger teams. The Frenchman was signed the very next year by Force India and Ocon would have his first full season in F1 alongside then teammate Sergio Perez.
In his first season, the Frenchman finished in eighth place after scoring 87 points from 20 races. The following season would prove to be a topsy-turvy one for Force India with their chief Vijay Mallya running into legal troubles but Ocon managed to put in a decent season and finish 12th after scoring 49 points from 20 races. The Frenchman stayed out of action in 2019 but was Mercedes’ reserve driver.
He returned to the grid as a full-timer in 2020 with Renault. That season, he competed in 17 races and earned 62 points, which included a P2 podium finish at the Sakhir Grand Prix. Renault then became Alpine-Renault for the following year and they sure do have to thank Ocon for an important milestone.
At the 2021 Hungarian GP, while almost every other driver was struggling to keep their composure on a wet track and after number of crashes, Esteban Ocon showed great composure and skill to win his and his team’s first ever Grand Prix. It was a moment in Alpine’s history that will never be forgotten and Esteban Ocon is the man who is responsible. The 25-year-old finished the season that year with 74 points and in 11th place.
| Races | 93 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Points | 292 |
| World Championships | 0 |
Esteban Ocon has stuck with the number he had when he started karting. The Frenchman currently uses the number 31 as a part of Alpine.
Elena Berri, an Italian model and influencer, is now dating Esteban Ocon. Berri was initially seen with Ocon in early 2018, but the two formally confirmed their romance in September 2018 when they were photographed together on the red carpet at an event. The couple is notorious for keeping most aspects of their relationship private, with only a few photos of them together being shared on their separate social media profiles. Ocon and Elena are thought to have met for the first time in August 2017 in Valencia, Spain.
Esteban Ocon is estimated to have a net worth of USD 18 million, according to GIVEMESPORT. After making his debut in 2016, the French driver took over for Rio Haryanto in the Belgian Grand Prix and impressed everyone with his performance. However, by finishing second at the Sakhir Grand Prix 2020 in 2020, Ocon earned his first ever podium result. He improved his game the next year, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021.
