EXCLUSIVE: Esteban Ocon, growing in stature and going for glory
By Harish Samtani
Sakhir (Bahrain), April 8: In an informal chat with the 21-year old Frenchman Esteban Ocon confirmed something that I strongly believe in – It’s better to be the head of a fly than a tail of an elephant! Not that Sahara Force India is a fly by any standards, but compared to the might of the likes of the Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull etc, they probably are. And that’s what brings them admiration in the pit lane.
Ocon the prodigy and the product of the young drivers Mercedes program chose to work with SFI when he was given the options. I guess, this faith in the highly motivated team and Vijay Mallya’s uncanny ability to spot young talent made this partnership an exciting one.
Ocon’s 19 finishes out of 20 events last year speaks volumes of his maturity that certainly belies his age. His replies to my questions were concise and calm, conveying the confidence of a full-blooded F1 driver whose 320Kph speeds on four wheels are like a walk in the park to him.
While trying to probe into the mind of a talented youngster as to his take on the driving style of the 80’s-90’s where no grit-no glory was the style of racing, and where approximately 3600 gear shifts took place in one GP, I was politely and smilingly informed that the paddle shift was as difficult and required even more skill and perfection.
Incidentally, he raced just once in a manual car, an F3, in Macau in 2014. His best effort so far was his winning the highly competitive F3 Championship that he garnered in 2015.
He further stressed that fitness plays a major role in the current F1 racing machine and the G-forces endured due to much higher cornering speeds do take a toll particularly in the region of the neck.
While Mercedes will be his lifetime mentors, he will choose his own path as his racing career unfolds. But he is bound to remember his escalation in the ranks of F1 talents during his stint with SFI.
Lastly, when asked about the current performance of his team, he brushed it off stating that it reminded him about 2017 when they were precariously at 5th-6th before they recovered and finished a splendid 4th!
Esteban Ocon, may your tribe increase!
