Renault explain why they didn't sign Ocon

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has revealed the reasoning behind why his side didn't sign Force India's Esteban Ocon for next season.

Abiteboul admitted that Ocon's close ties to with Mercedes made a deal too difficult to complete.

Ocon looked like the likely candidate to become Nico Hulkenberg's, but then Daniel Ricciardo made himself available following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Force India driver could have potentially be loaned to Renault from Merecedes - similarly to what Carlos Sainz did for this season.

"It was a difficult decision," Abiteboul explained to Motorsport.com. "I think Esteban was a great fit. We've been extremely honest in our decision with people around Esteban - as always with these things the discussions are never with the drivers - but in the present case it was a bit awkward because it was a competitor, Mercedes.

"And I have to say that's something that was on the back of our minds, the fact that we still again had to discuss with a competitor regarding a driver.

"We were just coming out of that with Carlos, with a positive and a negative associated. I have to accept the fact that without discussing with Red Bull we would not have had Carlos last year, and I think it was great to have Carlos, so I think on balance we still did something good last year.

"But having to do that again, one more year or two more years, 2019 and '20, in years we are supposed, if we are to comply with our road map, to start competing with top teams...

"Being dependent on that top team, a competitor, for a very important resource, it was feeling a little bit awkward.

"It was not totally a dealbreaker, otherwise we would not have considered Esteban in the first instance. But it was really something that was at the back of our minds."