Best moments of Esteban Ocon’s F1 career including first podium, win and more

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Esteban Ocon has enjoyed a lengthy career in Formula 1 filled with plenty of highlights, so F1 Oversteer has taken a look at his best moments.

Making his F1 debut for backmarker team Manor Grand Prix in 2016, Ocon had impressed on his way through the junior formula ranks.

The Frenchman won the European Formula 3 Championship ahead of Max Verstappen in 2014, before making a switch to GP3 in 2015 with ART Grand Prix. Despite only scoring one race victory, he won the championship by eight points ahead of Luca Ghiotto.

A brief foray into DTM with Mercedes-Benz earned him a test with the German team in F1, while he was also acting as the reserve role for Renault. In 2016 he signed with Manor, before switching to Force India in 2017 alongside Sergio Perez.

Ocon would remain at Force India until he was dropped by the team following the takeover of Lawrence Stroll in 2018. He spent 2019 as a reserve driver for Mercedes, before switching to Renault in 2020 where he earned his maiden podium and win.

Where did Esteban Ocon make his Formula 1 debut?

Ocon made his debut with the Manor F1 team midway through the 2016 season, replacing Rio Haryanto at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Haryanto’s sponsors had failed to meet their contractual obligations, leading to the switch halfway through the season.

He qualified 18th on the grid and would go on to finish in P16 following multiple retirements in the race, including teammate Pascal Wehrlein, Jenson Button, and Carlos Sainz.

His best result for Manor was P12 at the Brazilian Grand Prix, which was largely affected by rain. He briefly ran in the points before dropping out of them on the final lap of the race.

Where did Esteban Ocon take his first podium finish in Formula 1?

Ocon would take his first podium in F1 at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, where he finished second behind race winner Perez.

The unusual race was held at the Bahrain International Circuit but using the Oasis outer layout, which effectively mimicked an oval. Drivers were able to achieve the first sub-60 second lap times in F1’s 75-year history.

Ocon had stayed out of the trouble at the start of the race having qualified in P11, while a late Safety Car for the Jack Aitkin crashing led to a series of errors for Mercedes that forced George Russell, who was substituting for the ill Lewis Hamilton, to give up the lead.

The Frenchman had already made his stop and was promoted to the podium positions while Mercedes sorted out their problems.

Esteban Ocon won his first Formula 1 race at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix

Ocon’s first race win would also come under similarly bizarre circumstances at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. Rain hit the track just before the start prompting all the teams to start on Intermediate tyres. As they piled into Turn 1, Valtteri Bottas braked too late and hit the back of Lando Norris, who then collided with Max Verstappen.

Bottas then collided with Sergio Perez, taking the Red Bull driver out of the race. Further back Lance Stroll got his braking wrong and went off the track, rejoining by smashing into the side of Charles Leclerc.

Stroll had just missed Ocon, who found himself in second after the first corner melee. Following a brief red flag, the race restarted as the rain eased. Every team apart from Mercedes pitted for dry tyres on the formation lap, leading to Hamilton taking the five lights on his own while everyone lined up in the pit lane.

With Hamilton needing to pit, it promoted Ocon to the lead as the Mercedes driver faced a recovery drive. Ocon would go on to win the race for Alpine, the first Grand Prix victory for the team since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix when they were known as Lotus F1. It was also the first victory for a French driver in a French team since Oliver Panis drove for Ligier at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.

Esteban Ocon’s best moments in his Formula 1 career

Ocon has enjoyed some great moments during his F1 career, most recently taking a podium at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix for Alpine.

It would be the final podium he would earn for the team before switching to Haas, and was significant in that it propelled them to sixth in the Constructors’ Championship when it was looking like they would be finishing in ninth after a poor start to the season.

Ocon’s other podium came at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, where he finished in third place after a strategy error from Ferrari promoted the Alpine driver.

The Frenchman had to hold off a late-charging Lewis Hamilton, who eventually finished in fourth for Mercedes.