“I went back to the car and cried” – Esteban Ocon opens up about his unexpected year on F1 sidelines

Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon has opened up about the emotional toll of spending the 2019 season on the sidelines as a Mercedes reserve driver. The unexpected hiatus followed an unfavorable chain of events that interrupted his career after a promising start.

In July 2018, during his second full F1 campaign, the Mercedes protege was experiencing a wave of momentum before his situation shifted abruptly. Reflecting on the difficult period, Ocon admitted that the setback led to moments of deep distress, including returning to his car to cry.