Opinion | Ocon's career could be on the line

Very briefly, rumors suggested that Pierre Gasly would make a shock switch to Renault in 2021, but then signed with AlphaTauri. The question is, how much time will Esteban Ocon get at Renault?

Stormy development

The career of an F1 driver can go fast. It is something Ocon now knows all about, after his year off the track in 2019. The Frenchman had to leave Racing Point and did not get a spot on the grid. A year later, Ocon moved to Renault, but there he shows that Renault made the right choice in 2019.

Ocon has come a long way without much money, mainly thanks to himself and his parents. In 2014 he won Formula 3 in a duel with Max Verstappen and a year later he also won the GP3 championship. A step to Formula 2 did not come, but with the help of Mercedes, he did enter the DTM. There Ocon made an impression and he got a view of a Formula 1 seat.

Renault

Toto Wolff, the manager of Ocon, seemed to have arranged a seat at Renault, but they suddenly got the opportunity to sign Daniel Ricciardo. Cyril Abiteboul did not hesitate for a moment and dropped Ocon. The Frenchman had to wait a year for his chance, but was still allowed to go to Renault after the departure of Nico Hulkenberg.

With the chance at Renault, Ocon's career seemed to be getting a kick start again, but there have been rumours this could be short-lived. The Frenchman has been outperformed by Daniel Ricciardo. It is 12-1 in the qualifying battle, Ricciardo is on average 0.272 faster per qualifying and the Australian has scored over double the number of points: 95-40.

Ocon has a contract for another year but Pierre Gasly was mentioned as a possible successor, but the Frenchman will stay with Alpha Tauri in 2021. So it looks like Ocon is getting another chance, but is that such a good chance? Ricciardo may leave, but with Fernando Alonso set to arrive, it is not necessarily going to get easier for Ocon.

Alonso is Renault's hero. He is the only driver to win titles with the team and he wants to do it again. Alonso has often pushed teammates aside and was part of the reason for Stoffel Vandoorne's McLaren departure. Could Ocon face a similar scenario?

Ocon may actually have the advantage, Alonso been out for so long, but the Spaniard is known for having the whole team run around him. Will Ocon still get all the parts that Alonso does, or does the Spaniard manage to bend the entire team to his will. He certainly won't want to be beaten by Ocon. 

Ocon, on the other hand, has little to gain. Suppose he beats Alonso, he might secure a longer period in F1, but then everyone will still point to the fact Alonso is older and not able to replicate his previous form.

2020 was a blessing for Ocon as he was able to return to Formula 1, but his image has been seriously damaged. He is no longer the talent for the future, but a man who must quickly prove whether he can stay in F1. Ocon also doesn't have the money to keep his place, so who knows, it might be over and out very soon.