Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Esteban Ocon
Discover the career path of Esteban Ocon, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Esteban Ocon is a French Formula One racing driver currently competing for Haas. He is notable for winning the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix while driving for Alpine. Ocon's career highlights his success in the highly competitive world of Formula One racing.
1997: Full Race Distance on One Set of Tyres
At the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon finished tenth having run the entire race distance on one set of intermediate-weather tyres. This was the first time a driver had completed a full race distance without making a pit stop since 1997.
2006: Karting Debut
In 2006, Esteban Ocon entered karting, finishing eighth in the Minime class of the French Championship.
2007: French Championship Win
In 2007, Esteban Ocon won the Minime class of the French Championship.
2008: Cadet Class Victory
In 2008, Esteban Ocon won the Cadet class, ahead of Anthoine Hubert and Pierre Gasly.
2010: Renault's Best Result Since 2010
Esteban Ocon's second-place finish at the Sakhir Grand Prix marked Renault's best race result since 2010.
2010: French KF3 Title
In 2010, Esteban Ocon won the French KF3 title in karting.
2011: WSK Euro Series Runner-Up
In 2011, Esteban Ocon finished as runner-up in the WSK Euro Series, behind Max Verstappen.
2012: Single-Seater Debut
In 2012, Esteban Ocon debuted in single-seaters, participating in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 with Koiranen Motorsport.
2012: Junior Formulae Debut
In 2012, Esteban Ocon graduated to junior formulae, marking his transition into higher levels of racing.
2013: Macau Grand Prix Debut
In 2013, Esteban Ocon made his debut in Formula Three machinery at the Macau Grand Prix with Prema Powerteam.
2013: ART Junior Team
In 2013, Esteban Ocon switched to the ART Junior Team in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series.
October 2014: First Experience of a Formula One Car
On 22 October 2014, Esteban Ocon's first experience of a Formula One car was when he drove the Lotus E20 at Circuit Ricardo Tormo as part of a two-day test for Lotus F1 Team.
2014: FIA Formula 3 European Championship
In 2014, Esteban Ocon continued his collaboration with Prema into the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, winning the championship ahead of Tom Blomqvist and Max Verstappen.
2015: Alonso comparison to Jenson Button
Esteban Ocon outscored Alonso in 2022, being the first teammate to do so since Jenson Button in 2015.
February 2016: Renault Reserve Driver
In February 2016, Ocon was announced as reserve driver for the Renault Sport F1 team for the 2016 season.
August 2016: Replacement for Rio Haryanto
On 10 August 2016, Esteban Ocon was named as the replacement for Rio Haryanto at Manor Racing for the second half of the season.
November 2016: Signing with Force India
On 10 November 2016, Force India announced that they had signed Esteban Ocon for the 2017 season as part of his multi-year contract with Mercedes.
2016: DTM Season
In 2016, Esteban Ocon drove for Mercedes-Benz in the first ten races of the DTM season, before being promoted to a Formula 1 race seat.
2016: Formula One Debut
In 2016, Esteban Ocon made his Formula One debut at the Belgian Grand Prix with Manor, stepping in for Rio Haryanto.
2017: Best Race Finish Since 2017
Esteban Ocon's best race finish since 2017 came at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he qualified sixth and finished fifth behind teammate Ricciardo.
2017: Move to Force India
In 2017, Esteban Ocon moved to Force India, partnering with Sergio Pérez.
2017: First Formula One Point
In 2017, Esteban Ocon scored his first Formula One point in his first race for Force India at the Australian Grand Prix.
2017: Ocon finished eighth in the driver's championship
In 2017, Ocon finished eighth in the drivers' championship, matching his best result and scoring 92 points.
2018: Departure from Racing Point
At the end of 2018, Esteban Ocon left Racing Point after two seasons with the team.
2018: Continued Partnership with Pérez
In 2018, Esteban Ocon continued alongside Sergio Pérez at Force India.
2019: Mercedes Reserve Driver Role
For the 2019 season, Esteban Ocon joined Mercedes as their reserve driver after a move to Renault fell through.
2019: Failed Renault Agreement
In 2019, it was revealed that Esteban Ocon had an "informal agreement" to join Renault for 2019 before the team unexpectedly signed Daniel Ricciardo, leaving Ocon's future in doubt.
2020: Discussions with Mercedes for 2020 Season
Esteban Ocon claimed to have been in discussions with Mercedes for the 2020 season, but Mercedes decided to continue with Valtteri Bottas.
2020: Joins Renault
Esteban Ocon joined Renault for 2020, signing a two-year contract and marking his return to Formula One as a full-time driver, replacing Nico Hülkenberg and partnering with Daniel Ricciardo.
2020: Return to Full-Time Driving with Renault
In 2020, Esteban Ocon returned as a full-time driver with Renault, securing his maiden podium finish at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
2021: Alpine F1 Team Debut
For the 2021 season, Renault rebranded as Alpine F1 Team, signing Fernando Alonso to partner Ocon.
2021: Maiden Victory at Hungarian Grand Prix
In 2021, Esteban Ocon secured his maiden victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix while driving for the rebranded Alpine team, partnering with Fernando Alonso.
2021: Hungarian Grand Prix Win
In 2021, Esteban Ocon won the Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine, marking a significant career milestone.
2022: Alpine retained Ocon and Alonso for 2022 season
In 2022, Alpine retained both Ocon and Alonso as drivers. Ocon's season included a seventh-place finish in Bahrain, sixth in Saudi Arabia, points in Miami and Spain, and a penalty in Monaco.
2022: Outscoring Alonso
In 2022, Esteban Ocon became the first teammate to outscore Fernando Alonso in the championship since 2015, marking a notable achievement.
2023: Podium at Monaco Grand Prix
In 2023, Esteban Ocon achieved his third podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix.
2023: Ocon gained a new teammate in Pierre Gasly for 2023
In 2023, Ocon had Pierre Gasly as a new teammate at Alpine after Alonso left. He also faced training setbacks due to a lung virus.
2024: Haas announced that Ocon would join their team
Ahead of the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, Haas announced that Ocon would join their team on a multi-year deal for the 2025 season and beyond.
2024: Ocon continued alongside Gasly at Alpine for 2024
In 2024, Ocon continued with Alpine alongside Gasly, facing challenges during pre-season testing and difficult qualifying sessions at the Bahrain and Australian Grand Prix.
2024: Ocon claimed first points and Alpine announced Ocon would leave the team at the end of the season
In 2024, Ocon scored the team's first points at the Miami Grand Prix, finishing tenth. He retired at the Monaco Grand Prix due to a collision with Gasly, for which he apologized. Following this, Alpine announced that Ocon would leave the team at the end of the season. Team orders at the Canadian Grand Prix also upset Ocon.
2024: Maiden Fastest Lap and Podium Finish
In 2024, during his final season at Alpine, Esteban Ocon achieved his maiden fastest lap in the United States, followed by a fourth career podium at the rain-affected São Paulo Grand Prix.
2024: Contract Extension
Prior to the French Grand Prix in 2021, it was announced that Esteban Ocon had signed a contract extension with Alpine running to the end of 2024.
2025: Current Stats as of 2025 Australian Grand Prix
As of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon has achieved one race win, one fastest lap, and four podiums in Formula One.
2025: Move to Haas
In 2025, Esteban Ocon moved to Haas alongside Oliver Bearman after leaving Alpine following the Qatar Grand Prix.
2025: Ocon to partner Oliver Bearman
In 2025, Haas announced that Ocon would partner with British rookie Oliver Bearman.
2026: Contract with Haas
Esteban Ocon is contracted to remain at Haas until at least the end of the 2026 season.
