Q: Esteban, your Manor drive came about rather unexpectedly. How would your F1 career have developed without it? You have tested with Force India and Mercedes, and done practice sessions with Renault…

Esteban Ocon: Ha, yes for sure, F1 has come sooner than expected for me. That is great and I am super happy with how it’s gone. Of course, I was working towards next season, keeping on doing practice sessions for Renault, building up a good relationship with them with the hope of eventually jumping into one of their cockpits. But now I’ll have the benefit of hopefully moving to them not as an absolute rookie, but as somebody with nine races under his belt - and that is a real asset.

Q: So the aim has always been to race for Renault in 2017, should they part with one of their current drivers?

EO: Yes, the aim was - or rather let’s say the hope was - to race for Renault in 2017. I don’t know how it would have worked, but that is the part my management is looking after - I am focusing on the driving side.

Q: Fred Vasseur, Renault’s team principal, has said repeatedly that he considers you to be among perhaps five young drivers that he thinks will make it big in the coming years. And Force India’s deputy team principal Bob Fernley has expressed a similar opinion. How do you live up to that?

EO: Wow, thanks gentlemen!



Q: Does that mean pressure? Is the expectation level skyrocketing?

EO: Yes, the expectations are high. But the biggest pressure comes from my side. I want to do well. I want to perform well and make my team happy.



Q: If Fred said it’s you and four others, who else do you suspect he was thinking of?

EO: For sure Max (Verstappen) and Stoffel (Vandoorne)…