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Esteban Ocon had a great junior career, although, lack of funding created unique challenges for the driver.
Esteban Ocon was a young talent, however, lack of funding and sponsors slowed his progress to Formula One. After years of struggling to keep his grip in the F1 world because he didn’t bring sponsors the way his peers did, with the support of Mercedes, Ocon now has both feet standing firmly in the sport. Ocon is now an F1 race winner, following his win at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021.
Karting
While competing in karting, Esteban Ocon’s parents had to sell their family home and his father’s garage to fund his karting career. After selling the house, they lived and travelled to races in a caravan Ocon also used as a motor home.
Nonetheless, Ocon had a great karting career. Ocon entered karting in 2005 competing in Championnat de France Regional Ile de France – Minime and Coupe de France – Mini Kart, finishing first and fifth respectively. In 2006 he finished eighth in the Minime class of the French Championship. He won the championship in 2007 and continued his success by winning the Cadet class in 2008 ahead of Anthoine Hubert and Pierre Gasly.
Ocon then spent three years racing in the KF3 category and competed in the Spanish Championship and Italian Open Masters. In that time, he won 4 KF3 titles.
Formula Renault
Esteban Ocon made his debut in single-seater racing in 2012, competing in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 Alps championships. He finished P14 and P7 in both competitions respectively.
The Frenchman remained in Eurocup Formula Renault for 2013 and had a better season. He finished the season P3 overall. That season, he acquired 1 pole position, 2 race wins – one of which was at Circuit Paul Ricard – and 5 podiums.
Also in 2013 was a partial campaign in the Northern European Cup. There he managed 1 race win at the Hockenheimring and 2 podiums to round off his season in P12.
Formula 3 and GP3
Later in 2013, Esteban Ocon made his debut in Formula Three machinery at the 2013 Macau Grand Prix. He stalled at the start of the main race but went on to finish P10 making a good impression.
In 2014, Ocon stepped up to the highly competitive FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Prema. He enjoyed a stellar season, enjoying 9 wins, 21 podiums and 15 pole positions in a 23-race season. He consistently performed well throughout the season, allowing him to clinch the championship title with 478 points. Ocon was crowned FIA Formula 3 European champion with three races remaining. He won the title 58 points ahead of Tom Blomqvist and 67 points ahead of Max Verstappen.
Following his Formula 3 title win, Esteban Ocon moved to the GP3 Series in 2015, joining the ART Grand Prix team. Despite facing stiff competition, he showcased his skill and consistency by winning the championship in his debut season. Despite only scoring one race victory (two other victories were denied due to penalties), he won the championship by 8 points. That season, he had 3 pole positions and 14 podium finishes from 18 races.
Financial difficulties limit Formula 2 and Formula 1 opportunities
Despite great performances throughout his junior career, it took a while for Ocon to get a seat in Formula 2. This was due to a lack of funding. Lack of funding is also the reason it took him a while to join F1. As a member of the Mercedes-Benz Junior Driver Program, Ocon drove for Mercedes-Benz in the first ten races of the 2016 DTM season, alongside his F1 reserve driver role at Renault before he was promoted to a full-time F1 race seat. He raced for Manor in the final 9 races of the 2016 F1 season.
Ocon found himself without a drive for the 2019 season due to sponsorship and financial constraints yet again. Despite being linked with several teams, including Renault, he had to settle for a reserve and test driver role with Mercedes for that season. However, this period as a reserve driver allowed Ocon to secure a full-time drive with Renault (now Alpine F1 Team) for the 2020 Formula 1 season.
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TODAY'S BEST
Micah Parsons says Cowboys gave him an ultimatum before trade
Micah Parsons claims he was willing to return to the negotiating table with the Dallas Cowboys before he was traded to the Green Bay Packers in a deal that sent shockwaves across the NFL, but the team declined. Parsons was traded to the Packers on Thursday in exchange for two first-round draft picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The deal came less than a month after Parsons publicly requested a trade, but the star pass-rusher says he was open to remaining in Dallas right up until he was moved. Parsons told Jane Slater of NFL Network on Thursday evening that he went back to the Cowboys in an attempt to discuss a new contract after the trade chatter began heating up this week. The 26-year-old says Jerry Jones and company told him he can either play under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract (which would have paid Parsons just over $24M) or be shown the door. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media confirmed that the Cowboys "had a chance to stop the deal." Jones insists that he and Parsons had a handshake agreement for a new long-term extension earlier in the offseason. The Cowboys owner said he and Parsons worked out all of the details, including length, average annual salary and guaranteed money. Jones claims he presented the terms to Parsons' agent David Mulugheta, and Mulugheta had a vulgar response. Mulugheta insists that is not the truth. The relationship between Parsons and the Cowboys deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks, but it sounds like Parsons was still willing to work to find middle ground. It would not be a surprise if Jones tells a much different story.
Micah Parsons trade overshadows positive Jordan Love news for Packers
It's the trade everyone wants to talk about, and for good reason. The Green Bay Packers pulled off a rare blockbuster trade, perhaps one of the biggest moves in the franchise's storied history. Superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons is now a Packer. Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst traded two first round picks and long-time defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys for Parsons, and then immediately gave him a four-year, $188M contract extension. That's seismic NFL news and it overshadowed another positive moment for Green Bay on Thursday, albeit a much smaller one. Before the trade, and while speaking to reporters, quarterback Jordan Love revealed that his surgically repaired left thumb is feeling good. He said he has "no concerns" heading into Week 1's massive matchup with the Detroit Lions, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. He'll have to wear a brace, but keep in mind, the brace will be on his non-throwing arm. "It'll be some weeks having to brace it up and just keep it protected," Love said. "It's one of those things, we'll play it by ear, as I start getting into games and seeing how it feels, as you get back to live contact. But there'll be some time having that brace still." While the Parsons trade will absolutely impact Green Bay's 2025 season, this update from Love is arguably just as important. Love showed at the end of the 2023 season that he has the capability to be an elite quarterback. He was injured for much of 2024, though, and his numbers and overall efficiency dipped as a result. No team wants to hear about its quarterback going under the knife just weeks before a season begins, but it sounds as if the decision was made in order to give Love the best chance to be as close to 100% as possible when things kick-off against the Lions on Sept. 7. It also sounds like he was dealing with a legitimate problem with his left thumb. "If you have no stability there, you have no strength as well," Love explained. "So it was pretty much just a limp thumb. I couldn't really do much with it, and it's just something that I wasn't, before the season, I'm not trying to be dealing with that throughout the course of the season. Who knows if that would have kept getting reinjured, kept getting messed up, and who knows how that would have been going through a whole season? So I think, and the doctors' opinion was, just go ahead and get the surgery knocked out and try to get back to as 100% as possible for the season." The Packers now have what appears to be an elite defense with the addition of Parsons. Despite trading away Clark in the deal, they've added him to a unit that features stars like safety Xavier McKinney, defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. If Love can remain healthy, there's a real chance the Packers' offense will be elite as well. That's got to be a scary proposition for the rest of the NFC.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers lost out on two-time Super Bowl champion he tried to recruit
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hit a roadblock this week as he tried to improve the receiver corps before Week 1. Veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling said Rodgers recruited him before he signed with the San Francisco 49ers practice squad on Wednesday. He believes the 49ers are better for his career. "It was between here and Pittsburgh," Valdes-Scantling said. "Obviously, I have a great relationship with Aaron Rodgers over there. And he wanted me back over there. So it was a toss-up, 50/50. And I had to weigh my options and see which one I wanted to do, which was going to be better for my career at this point, and I was excited about it." While Rodgers was a draw for the two-time Super Bowl champion, Valdez-Scantling cited familiarity with the 49ers scheme as preferable to playing for the quarterback who threw him passes during his first four seasons in the league with the Green Bay Packers. The miss was an unusual setback for Rodgers, who was successful in recruiting pass-catchers to join him with the New York Jets. Receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb joined Rodgers in New York before the 2023 season during the "Green Bay East" migration. The Jets traded for Davante Adams in 2024. The 41-year-old quarterback seems to be losing some of his influence before his 21st season in the league. The Jets' 5-12 record last season might have something to do with it. The Steelers have concerning depth at wide receiver behind DK Metcalf. Valdez-Scantling most certainly would have been used at some point for Pittsburgh in the regular season. Rodgers might have to prove he can win early in the regular season before a free agent takes a chance on Pittsburgh.
Aaron Nola quietly made Phillies history amid Kyle Schwarber's big night
While Kyle Schwarber stole the show on Thursday with his four home runs, Aaron Nola made some franchise history of his own. The longtime Philadelphia Phillies right-hander surpassed 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP Cole Hamels (1,844) for third on the team’s all-time strikeout list with 1,845 punchouts. Nola’s historic strikeout came against Ronald Acuna Jr. in the sixth inning on a 79 mph curveball. Overall, he struck out four across six innings, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks. It wasn't the cleanest final line, but the Phillies’ offense supplied plenty of run support in a 19-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. Philadelphia's longest-tenured player recently returned from a rare three-month stint on the injured list. He has a 6.47 ERA in 12 starts this season, with 66 Ks in 64 innings. So, being able to accomplish this career milestone must feel good. Nola achieved the feat across 280 career starts — all with Philadelphia, who drafted him in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of LSU. The 32-year-old made his big league debut in 2015. The one-time All-Star has compiled a solid 11-year career thus far as one of the most durable pitchers in the league. He owns a 107-86 record alongside a 3.81 ERA, six complete games and four shutouts. Nola is now just 26 strikeouts away from overtaking Robin Roberts (1,871) for second place on the Phillies’ all-time list. Steve Carlton has the most Ks in franchise history by a wide margin with 3,031.
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