Esteban Ocon: from tears to triumph with Alpine

From frustration which drove him to tears in 2019, to an incredible F1 victory in 2021, Esteban Ocon has felt the extreme lows and highs of a racing driver’s life. After losing his race seat at Force India, Ocon spent a season as reserve driver for Mercedes in 2019. A year of ‘low moments’ opened his eyes to what he jokingly calls ‘the dark side’ of F1 – the off-track negotiations which can determine a driver’s future just as much on-track results. Wiser and more determined, Esteban returned to racing with Renault in 2020, scored his first podium and became a Grand Prix winner with Alpine. On his return to F1 Beyond The Grid, the Frenchman tells Tom Clarkson all about that chapter of his life, and looks ahead to the story he’s determined to write with Alpine. Plus, F1 friendships, the importance of clean racing, and why he sees the Spanish Grand Prix as a home race. Related episodes from the BTG archive Esteban Ocon’s first appearance  Fernando Alonso, Esteban’s Alpine teammate  Otmar Szafnauer on Force India’s administration  Mick Schumacher Lance Stroll This episode is sponsored by:  Calm: Get an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/GRID F1 Manager: Launching on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, Summer 2022. Visit F1manager.com to Wishlist the game on your platform of choice and follow @F1Manager on Twitter to stay up to speed Babbel: Get six months free with a purchase of a 6-month subscription with promo code GRID.