Esteban Ocon's future drives

[trinidefender]

I think we can all agree that Ocon deserves to have a seat in F1. In the spirit of that I decided to open a thread about his possibilities.

My list in order of likelihood:
1. Replace Romain Grosjean at Haas
2. Replace Nico Hulkenberg at Renault
3. Replace Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo
4. Replace Valterri Bottas (largely dependent on coming races with VB and what Mercedes does in the next few months).
5. Replace Pierre Gasly at Red bull (this one being highly unlikely in my opinion as Redbull usually looks to promote from within, also with AA and DK's performance I would bet that they will quicker go for one of them)

Other than that I don't see any real possibilities. There was someone saying something about replacing SV at Ferrari but I don't see that as likely. Ferrari usually like drivers with experience and I doubt they will want two young drivers in their team at once.

Thoughts?

[Scorpaguy]

Based upon his Merc ties, I'd say only RK at Williams (hope not) or VB (almost zero chance this season) are possible. One could say he deserves Stroll's seat, but Daddy will not let that happen.

[GPR-A]

Haas should fire both their drivers and take Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon. These two guys would do 200% better job than the current lousy lineup Haas has. The jokers at Haas are costing them a hell of a lot of money, not just in salaries, but also in wasted carbon fibre on track.

[trinidefender]

Haas should fire both their drivers and take Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon. These two guys would do 200% better job than the current lousy lineup Haas has. The jokers at Haas are costing them a hell of a lot of money, not just in salaries, but also in wasted carbon fibre on track.

I don't think Kevin Magnussen is doing a bad job at all. Aside from that, that's off topic a bit. Can we stick to Ocon please?

[izzy]

I think we can all agree that Ocon deserves to have a seat in F1. In the spirit of that I decided to open a thread about his possibilities.

Thoughts?

Esteban wasn't really any better than Checo was he, at FI? He seemed to have a lot of contact, got into some feuds sometimes with Pierre and Max? Can someone point out any great races? My mind is open so this is an interesting thread, as Toto seems keen on him but at this point I don't see it

[FrukostScones]

[Manoah2u]

I think we can all agree that Ocon deserves to have a seat in F1.

why?

i don't agree with that.

In the spirit of that I decided to open a thread about his possibilities.

My list in order of likelihood:
1. Replace Romain Grosjean at Haas

Possible, but then again, Fittipaldi is coming in closer and closer.
Don't know if he's able to get enough license points though.
If he does, i'm confident they'd take Fittipaldi alongside Magnussen over Ocon any day of the year.

2. Replace Nico Hulkenberg at Renault

Possible, but it seems Mercedes doesn't want to let him go. Offcourse ever man has free will,
but would Ocon be a better replacement? Ocon definately is fuel for fire within the team,
and Hulkenberg is the exact opposite. Even though i think Hulk is reaching his inevitable end
in F1, i think Daniel-Hulk is a very stable combination.

3. Replace Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo

This could be much more of a possibility but then again would Mercedes just let him go to the
realms of their competition and possbily take some vital information there?

4. Replace Valterri Bottas (largely dependent on coming races with VB and what Mercedes does in the next few months).

Never gonna happen. If bottas is out - no reason why he'd send off or leave - they'd grab Verstappen in a heartbeat.
Likewise Hamilton.

5. Replace Pierre Gasly at Red bull (this one being highly unlikely in my opinion as Redbull usually looks to promote from within, also with AA and DK's performance I would bet that they will quicker go for one of them)

Even less. Ocon alongside Verstappen after what happened before? never ever ever gonna happen.
Marko recently stated Gasly'doesn't need to worry about his seat anyway but if he did, it's gonna be Kvyat or Albon first and foremost to replace Gasly. Or, Verstappen, for that matter if he'd bail.

Other than that I don't see any real possibilities. There was someone saying something about replacing SV at Ferrari

but I don't see that as likely. Ferrari usually like drivers with experience and I doubt they will want two young drivers in their team at once.

Thoughts?

Ocon is F1 history, he won't compete anymore.

The only real possibility would be Williams and he'd be committing career suicide going there and they have Russell there anyway and Williams wants Russian roebels in there again.

[NathanOlder]

Ocon will be back on the grid. You couldn't be any more wrong mate.

[Jolle]

Ocon has the misfortune I think to be good, probably better then half the guys on the field, but at the wrong time with the wrong contract. Or more, Hamilton is his problem. Not him as a person, but the way he's been driving the past couple of seasons. Mercedes build their team around him since 2017 and will do so for the coming future and blame them, he delivers.

Where his peer Verstappen made the right choice with RedBull who have a much higher turnover and is now at 21 team leader!

So his options... I think he has to forget his ambition to sit in a race winning car in the near future. Mercedes is happy and him instead of Hamilton is not the best choice plus they have Russel waiting. RedBull has their own drivers and Ferrari has their coming star in waiting and are going to pair him up with someone like Bottas in 2021.

McLaren's seats are also occupied the coming years. Racing Point has their drivers of course, Renault is quite happy and under contract with their drivers. etc etc

so...

the marketing parade of FE or the WEC project of Mercedes?

[NathanOlder]

In an ideal world, Mercedes buy in to Williams and do a similar deal to what Ferrari and Haas have done, place Russell and Ocon there as Kubica is a waste of space now.

Williams will jump up to the midfield, Ocon and Russell can fight amongst the midfield and everyone wins.

Other than Williams selling a big stake of the team. But at least the team would be safe and secure.

[Big Tea]

I also see him as over hyped. A good solid midfield driver, but not one of the top 10 and never going to be.
His Merc attachment is holding him back now, and I think he would be better dropping it, as there are too many options for Merc for them to take a driver who has not been driving for a year.

Had he been driving elsewhere this year he may have been 'the guy in the right place, but I think his chance has gone now, unless they take him to FE

[dans79]

Imo

If Bottas starts to slump like in the second half of last year, Ocon will get his seat for 2020.

If Bottas doesn't slump, then I could see him replacing Perez at Racing Point, or Kubica at Williams. Both Racing Point and Williams could benefit more from Mercedes technical aid then they can from what their paid drivers bring in.

[roon]

Reading these entries make me think the sport needed Porsche to enter, had the engine regs gone another way. Another front runner to compete with Merc, Scud, and RB. Had they been a team and not just an engine supplier, of course. The big three projected to be stable in coming years, another couple of championship-contesting seats would have been good.

[izzy]

Reading these entries make me think the sport needed Porsche to enter, had the engine regs gone another way. Another front runner to compete with Merc, Scud, and RB. Had they been a team and not just an engine supplier, of course. The big three projected to be stable in coming years, another couple of championship-contesting seats would have been good.

Would Porsche have taken Ocon? And would Esteban have taken Porsche? It's a bit of a diversion but isn't the difficult bit the fuel flow limit? Combustion, plasma, 3D-printed pistons and everything? Why would Porsche have been better than Honda, if they don't dare do the H. The H is just a second electromotor that needs programming when to charge or spin, I don't get all the fuss about it, but afaics anyone who's scared of it ought to be scared of everything else in an f1 PU too, the level is totally insane. If they'd changed the engine Andy Cowell said HPP would've done 100 prototypes!

And as it is any team can come in and have a Mercedes PU all ready to go, or a Ferrari or Renault, and at a bargain price. Porsche would get murdered by Mercedes whatever kind of engine it was, if you ask me, as long as it's 100kg/hr, and by the chassis as well. Ocon would be insane to go there, it'd be like JV and BAR.

[Shanhara]

Imo

If Bottas starts to slump like in the second half of last year, Ocon will get his seat for 2020.

If Bottas doesn't slump, then I could see him replacing Perez at Racing Point, or Kubica at Williams. Both Racing Point and Williams could benefit more from Mercedes technical aid then they can from what their paid drivers bring in.

If Bottas doesn't slump and continues to be the solid 2nd he has been so far, I don't see why they won't keep him. They have Hamilton and they don't want another Rosberg situation so they just want a good wingman which Bottas has definitely been and they know there isn't going to be any competition between them. So AFAICS he's the perfect candidate there certainly is a very high chance that they keep him.