Ocon on Schumacher at Mercedes: 'Then that's a very big asset'

Mick Schumacher had to leave Haas F1 last winter and eventually found shelter with Mercedes as a test and reserve driver. It is not an ideal scenario for the German, but Esteban Ocon is happy to highlight the positives. According to the Alpine driver, a year within the Mercedes environment is very constructive, even if you don't put in that many miles.

Schumacher, like Nyck de Vries last season, is present at every Grand Prix. Should a driver at McLaren not be fit enough to take part in a Grand Prix, Schumacher is also the first option as a replacement. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is hoping for a route à la De Vries for Schumacher. In other words, the aim is for the former Formula 2 and Formula 3 champion to return to Formula 1 in one or two years' time.

Speaking to Racefans.net, Ocon called it a "rare opportunity" to work with a team that has long dominated Formula 1 and has a huge amount of knowledge. According to the 26-year-old driver, how valuable that is is still sometimes underestimated. "It’s a very great asset, when you come back as a full-time driver," he said.

Ocon knows the benefits

Ocon knows all about it himself. After his forced departure from Racing Point (now Aston Martin), he had to watch from the sidelines for a year. The Frenchman, who was still a Mercedes protégé at the time, switched to present-day Alpine a year later. There, he benefited from having a year of looking over the shoulders of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

"You’ve seen a team like that work from the inside and you have keys and information that you can bring to your future team. So I’m hoping Mick will find a solution very soon. And I have no doubt that a team would be interested in him," Ocon said. At Mercedes, George Russell is still on long-term contract and Hamilton is also under contract, so at the German racetrack the short-term options seem few.