Windows: F1 is not always fair to talented drivers

      Esteban Ocon made his Formula 1 debut nearly ten years ago – in August 2016, becoming the new teammate of Pascal Wehrlein in the struggling Manor team. And while the German driver did not stay in Formula 1 for long, continuing a quite successful career in other series, Esteban has been competing in the championship since then, except for missing the 2019 season.

      During this time, he has driven for teams such as Force India, Renault, Alpine, and for the second year now, he has been collaborating with Haas F1. He is remembered not only for his victory in Hungary in 2021 driving an Alpine car and three other podiums but also for conflicts with teammates. Esteban honestly admits that he is not satisfied with his career and continues to believe that he is capable of more and deserves more.

      "When I debuted, I was at the back of the grid, and since then I have worked hard every day to rise to higher positions," Ocon's words are quoted by the Spanish newspaper Marca. "But Formula 1 is not always fair to talented drivers if you don't manage to be behind the wheel of a good car at the right moment."

      Part of the 29-year-old Frenchman's concerns can be understood, as he once became a champion in European Formula 3 and in the GP3 series, was part of the Mercedes youth program, and was considered one of the most promising of his generation. For example, in F3, he managed to defeat the then-young Max Verstappen, who has since won four titles in Formula 1, while Ocon's best achievements remain 8th places at the end of the 2017 and 2022 seasons.

      "Many would be satisfied with a victory in a Grand Prix, but not me," Esteban continued. "I do not give up on my dream of a title and will not stop until I get the chance to fight for it. One victory and three podiums in almost ten years is not enough for me.

      I know what it is like to beat the best; I have done it in the past, and that fire has not gone out, so I continue to compete."

      However, for the second year now, Esteban is being outperformed by Oliver Berman, his young teammate, and before the start of the season, Ayo Komatsu, the head of Haas F1, clearly stated: "If we look at Ocon's purely sporting results in 2025, they were not satisfactory to anyone. His teammate is a rookie, although very talented, but Esteban has ten years of experience in Formula 1. He has been on the podium, he has one victory, so we expected more from him.

      After three rounds of the new season, Berman already has 17 points, while Ocon has finished in the points only once, and that was a week ago."