Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

What we learned from the 2026 F1 Dutch GP sprint race and qualifying

Feature
Formula 1
Dutch GP
What we learned from the 2026 F1 Dutch GP sprint race and qualifying

Verstappen suffering from "flu-like" illness as Zandvoort exposes Red Bull's fundamental problems

Formula 1
Dutch GP
Verstappen suffering from "flu-like" illness as Zandvoort exposes Red Bull's fundamental problems

Why Verstappen's 2026 Mercedes contact was very different from last year's

Formula 1
Dutch GP
Why Verstappen's 2026 Mercedes contact was very different from last year's

F1 Dutch GP: Norris pips Russell to grab pole

Formula 1
Dutch GP
F1 Dutch GP: Norris pips Russell to grab pole

BTCC Donington Park: Morgan leads dominant 1-2 for Plato’s old team

BTCC
Donington Park (Grand Prix Circuit)
BTCC Donington Park: Morgan leads dominant 1-2 for Plato’s old team

Why Williams problems are worse than previously known

Feature
Formula 1
Dutch GP
Why Williams problems are worse than previously known

BTCC Donington Park: Ingram leads practice from Doble

BTCC
Donington Park (Grand Prix Circuit)
BTCC Donington Park: Ingram leads practice from Doble

LIVE: F1 Dutch GP updates - Norris beats Russell to pole position

Formula 1
Dutch GP
LIVE: F1 Dutch GP updates - Norris beats Russell to pole position

Mercedes happy with my progress in F1 - Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon says Mercedes is happy with the progress he made during his first full year in Formula 1 with Force India

Ocon, who was voted number five in Autosport's team principals' top 10 drivers poll, finished eighth in the standings, one place and 13 points behind team-mate Sergio Perez.

The Mercedes junior saw the chequered flag in all but one of the 20 races and scored points in 18 of them.

"Force India are happy with the job I'm doing and also Mercedes are happy with what I'm doing," Ocon told Autosport.

"So if everyone is happy, I just have to continue and do everything I can."

Ocon says he keeps in regular contact with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff with the works team doing the same with Force India to chart his progress.

"Most of the time we speak on the phone, sometimes at the track as well," he said.

"They call me for a quick meeting, 35-40 minutes, to see how I'm getting on, what are my issues, whether I should have improved.

"They also have meetings with Force India to see how my development is going.

"They are very close to me, to how I'm performing, which is normal. They are my main sponsor and I'm part of the development programme.

"They are really interested in what I'm doing, and I think it's a good thing."

Ocon said he is not allowing himself to look further ahead at the possibility of promotion to the Mercedes team in the future.

"At the moment, I'm focusing on the job I'm doing at Force India," he said.

"If Force India is happy and Mercedes is happy, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

"If you do a strong job, there will always be opportunities.

"You need to focus on the job you're doing on track and the job you're doing with the engineers.

"I'm fully trusting my management with Mercedes, I know they have always done a good job for me and good choices."

Previous article Renault 'played with fire' chasing F1 engine gains in 2017
Next article Aston Martin attracting interest from several Formula 1 teams

Top Comments

Latest news