Esteban Ocon left Mercedes at the end of 2019 to join what was then Renault. But the Silver Arrows’ team principal Toto Wolff has continued to manage his career.
Ocon started out in F1 with Manor midway through the 2016 season and then climbed up the grid to Force India. He spent three years with the Silverstone-based team but then lost his drive after their transition to Racing Point.
That was because new investor Lawrence Stroll wanted to place his son Lance at the team, and Ocon was the victim rather than Sergio Perez. The Frenchman would be forced to spend a year on the sidelines as Mercedes’ reserve driver.
But Wolff wouldn’t stand in his way when an offer arrived from Renault for the 2020 season. He went on to score his first Grand Prix victory with the Enstone-based team in Hungary in 2021, one of three career podiums.
But 2024 is proving to be his toughest season since he raced for backmarkers Manor. And it seems he no longer has the patience of a rookie.
After an exodus of senior personnel, Alpine have arguably regressed more than any team over the winter. It took until the last race in Miami for the team to deliver their first points of the season, with Ocon finishing 10th.
Toto Wolff trying to engineer Williams move for Esteban Ocon
According to F1-Insider, neither Ocon nor his teammate Pierre Gasly have ‘any desire to stay at Alpine’. That’s why they’re looking ‘around the market’ as they approach the end of their contracts.
They may view this year as the ideal time to change teams, with more than half the grid out of contract. That brings up more openings than usual.
Wolff believes his best bet is Williams and is trying to ‘place’ him at Grove. Mercedes exert a degree of influence over the team’s driver line-up because of their engine deal.
George Russell previously spent three years with the nine-time champions, while another academy graduate in Kimi Antonelli could replace Logan Sargeant midway through this season. On the surface, that may block Ocon’s path, but Wolff seemingly doesn’t expect it to be a problem.
Williams are actually below Alpine in the standings as one of two teams yet to score a point alongside Sauber. Wolff, however, clearly has a great deal of confidence in the team’s trajectory under his former Mercedes colleague James Vowles.
Audi also interested in Esteban Ocon
Williams isn’t the only option for Ocon as he pursues a fresh start for 2025. The report also states that he’s a ‘candidate’ for Audi, but that will depend upon top target Carlos Sainz saying no.
It was recently claimed that the German manufacturer had given Sainz until the Monaco Grand Prix later this month to make a decision. If they don’t receive an answer, they’re ready to move for Ocon.
Audi won’t enter F1 until the 2026 season as they acquire the Sauber team. But Andreas Seidl says they will have the budget to compete with the sport’s top teams, so it could be an exciting project.
Alpine are already looking into possible replacements for their incumbent drivers. After Sauber signed Nico Hulkenberg, they could make a move for Zhou Guanyu, or potentially promote youngster Jack Doohan.
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