Wearing a pressed white apron and black waistcoat, a portly Parisian waiter raises an eyebrow at the sleek, silver machine parked in front of his café. Holding the keys to the Mercedes roadster is Force India racer Esteban Ocon. Today he's off duty, in grey jeans and blue Farah jacket, enjoying the warm sunshine.
In the far corner of the Place des Vosges, Ocon slides into the convertible's low-slung driver's seat, disturbing the espresso-sipping locals by firing up the V8. As it barks into life, the crackle causes our waiter to throw down his cigarette and retreat into his café.
Roof down, Ocon motors through the tree-lined streets of the French capital, along the Seine to the Place du Trocadero, where he's recently discovered a new favourite eatery. Behind him, a sun-kissed Eiffel Tower completes the scene. "Not bad, eh?" he says, grinning.