EXCLUSIVE: Esteban Ocon told friends to ‘slap me in the face’ if fame changed him

Esteban Ocon’s journey to the pinnacle of motorsport is a tale of hardship and sacrifice.

There was no silver spoon or fortune to bankroll Ocon up the motorsport ladder. Instead, he had to rely on hard work, his talent, and his family making huge sacrifices. 

Ocon’s family sold their home and business to fund his go-kart career and lived on the road as they travelled around Europe in a caravan.

The Frenchman’s abilities did not go unnoticed, leading to him being picked up by the Lotus junior team, and later signed by Mercedes, as his championship successes in European Formula 3 and the then-GP3 series ultimately paved his pathway to F1.

Speaking in a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with Crash.net at the British Grand Prix, Ocon says his upbringing and difficult route to F1 has shaped him into the person - and driver - he is today.

“It hasn't been the easy way, for sure,” the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner recalls. “All my life has been tough, sacrifice, no comfort. The difficult way, no luxury, nothing. It was as tough as it can get.

“But when you have a little bit of a sweet taste, you realise and you enjoy a lot more what you have. I will always keep that. Feet to the ground is the most important thing. Remember where you come from.

“My aim is to fight for titles and win races. I've won one [race], I've got to Formula 1. The first two parts of the dream is done. But the biggest one, is the last one, is to win the championship. That's my main goal for the future and that's the one to conquer.”

Ocon can now reflect on his journey with the comfort of knowing he made it to where he always wanted to be, and that he has repaid his family.

The A521 Alpine car with which Ocon won his maiden grand prix in Budapest now hangs proudly in his father’s garage in Normandy, acting as a permanent reminder of his achievement.

“I can tell you that the stress level was very high for a long time,” the 28-year-old Frenchman admits. “Not for the right reasons, the sports reasons, more for other things.

"But I'm proud that my parents have a house, my dad has his garage like he had before. He doesn't have to work in that sense to repair cars. He works for my cars, which is the right way around. Something that we've always dreamed of.

“Now it's all down to me, that pressure has gone because everything is OK. I just have to focus on the racing, enjoy what I get and focus on my dream. Obviously I'm not going to win this year. But if I do everything right, I believe I will have the opportunity one day.”

An uncompromising driver on track

On-track, Ocon has forged a reputation for being a tough and uncompromising driver.

An elbows-out approach has led to clashes with teammates and rubbed some drivers up the wrong way, but for Ocon, fighting hard is ingrained deep within him.

“I think all my life nothing came easy, I had to fight for it,” Ocon explains. “So when I'm on track I've got the same chance as everyone, I'm also going to fight for it. But I've encountered that there are drivers that fight harder than me.

“I like tough racing. I grew up racing with Max [Verstappen], racing with Charles [Leclerc], and the rule was, as soon as you are on the outside, you are in the gravel. So if somebody is resisting to you, you will get pushed out on the exit and ‘see you later’.

“All my generation have been racing like this forever, so it just makes sense for us. I think this generation has a bit of a different view to that. But that's how we've been racing, the way that we've been racing with Max forever.

“Banging wheels and all that, it's fun. This is why I enjoy racing wheel-to-wheel.”

Staying humble despite fame and fortune

Speaking to Ocon, there is not an ounce of arrogance or ego. He is a humble, polite and softly-spoken character.

Despite the money, fame and luxury lifestyle that is attached with being an F1 driver, Ocon has always remained grounded. For him, it is “very important” to not lose sight of where he came from.

“I hate the people that basically change and become someone different just because they have a bit of success. This is honestly the worst thing,” Ocon says.

"I've always said to my friends, you can slap me in the face if you think one day I’m completely different, or I say weird things, or become, I don't know how you say it in English… a twat.

“My cheek is still alright right now, so that's good,” Ocon adds with a laugh.