Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon, born September 17, 1996 in Évreux, France, is a French Formula 1 driver who races for the Haas F1 team. His teammate in 2025 will be Oliver Bearman.

Esteban Ocon has had to overcome many obstacles to reach Formula 1. The French driver is entering his fourth season in F1 with Alpine in 2024, his second season alongside his old rival Pierre Gasly.

Ocon started his career in karting, where he achieved numerous successes. In 2012, he moved on to single-seater racing and excelled in Formula Renault 2.0. In 2014, Ocon truly made a name for himself. That year, in the Formula 3 championship, he became a serious rival to Max Verstappen, eventually winning the title while Verstappen finished third. However, it was Verstappen who made an early jump to F1, skipping Formula 2.

After Formula 3, Verstappen moved to Formula 1, while Ocon stayed in GP3 and won the championship there. Despite lacking sponsor support but with a great deal of talent, he became a test driver for Force India and joined Mercedes' junior program. In 2016, Ocon got a chance in DTM and tested for both Mercedes and Renault, leading to a seat with Manor in Formula 1, aided by Mercedes' influence.

In 2017, Ocon moved to Force India for a full season alongside Sergio Perez. Although Perez initially had the upper hand, Ocon began to fight back, especially in qualifying. However, Lawrence Stroll's 2018 takeover of Force India led to Ocon’s departure, as Perez and Stroll's son Lance were given the seats. In 2020, Ocon returned to F1 with Renault (later Alpine), first alongside Daniel Ricciardo and later alongside the experienced Fernando Alonso.

In their first year as teammates in F1, things went well between Ocon and Gasly, but the two drivers proved to be particularly evenly matched. On the track, tensions have run high a few times, so Alpine will need to keep an eye on them and ensure the driver duo remains in check.

In 2023, Alonso left for Aston Martin, and Ocon was joined by Pierre Gasly. This was expected to be an exciting line-up, as it was no secret that the two did not get along. Both drivers assured everyone that they had buried the hatchet, and that seemed to be the case, but tensions on the track occasionally flared up.

Ocon was born on September 17, 1996, in Evreux, France. He is 27 years old and holds French nationality. He will celebrate his 28th birthday on September 17, 2024. Standing at 1.86 meters, he is relatively tall for a Formula 1 driver.

Since the end of 2023, Ocon has been in a relationship with the French model Flavy Barla. The 20-year-old was crowned Miss Côte d'Azur in 2022 and was first spotted with Ocon during the test days in Abu Dhabi, where she was present in Alpine’s pit box.

Stay updated on the latest news about Esteban Ocon and his team Alpine. From official announcements, updates, and track performances to preparations and activities outside the F1 season, you can read it all first on GPblog.com.