Esteban Ocon admits he finds it hard to believe that he could be without a Formula One drive for 2019.
The Frenchman’s future in F1 looks to be increasingly uncertain after missing out on drives at Renault and McLaren. Ocon is unlikely to be retained by Force India following its summer takeover by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll — the father of Lance Stroll, who is set to make the switch from Williams to partner Sergio Perez.
With Williams appearing to be the only realistic option for next season, he remains hopeful that he will be on the grid.
« There are still hopes, yes, but less and less, as you know, » Ocon said. « That’s a bit why I’m disappointed at the moment, to see that it’s not only results that come in play, it has to be other things.
« That’s why I’m disappointed to be in that situation. It’s hard to believe that I was in a great position two months ago and things have gone that way now. »
McLaren boss Zak Brown said Ocon’s ties to Mercedes was one of the reasons the team opted to promote Lando Norris as Fernando Alonso’s replacement for next season.
When asked about whether he had discussed this and his future with Mercedes, with boss Toto Wolff, Ocon said: « No, I’ve never talked to him about this. What I know is that I have a contract with Mercedes. We’ve never talked about this.
»What should be taken into account is the results and the work the driver puts in, and the efforts he puts in to perform. Those extra things should not be taken into account. That’s why I’m a bit disappointed with how things have turned out. »
http://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/24661278/esteban-ocon-really-disappointed-strong-results-enough-remain-f1
