Esteban Ocon has admitted that he’s “really annoyed” that he hasn’t had the chance to reignite his rivalry with Max Verstappen from the lower categories in Formula 1.
Ocon shared the podium with Verstappen at the previous round in Brazil as the two capitalised on treacherous conditions at Interlagos to complete the top two spots.
But while Verstappen’s miraculous win from 17th place on the grid was his 62nd triumph in F1, Ocon’s second place was his fourth trip to the rostrum from 154 starts.
Ocon and Verstappen’s fortunes in the top flight mark a complete contrast to what happened on the feeder ladder when the duo went toe-to-toe on various occasions.
However, that has seldom been the case in F1 as Verstappen has risen to prominence with Red Bull to attain multiple titles, while Ocon has been mired in the midfield.
The Frenchman, who pipped his rival to the Formula 3 crown in 2015, has conceded that it has been bitter not to have had the chance to battle Verstappen more in F1.
“I’m really annoyed that I haven’t been able to fight him yet in my Formula 1 career,” Ocon, who will leave Alpine to move to Haas in 2025, told Motorsport.com.
“We’re always in a different car, at a different level, which will hopefully change.
“I hope that in the future we can compete at the front, because in my first years at international level Max was clearly my biggest competitor.
“I lost entire championships to him, because in the World Series Karting I came second, for example. But then I got revenge in Formula 3, so that was nice.”
Verstappen ‘deserves’ to win 2024 title
Ocon, though, has acknowledged Verstappen’s enviable talent, which he utilised to devastating effect in Sao Paulo to move to the cusp of taking a fourth straight title.
“If I look at what Max shows, he would really deserve to win,” he added.
“He works his butt off every race. He takes pole positions, even with a car that is not the fastest at the moment.
“That car is still very fast, but no longer the best. But I do hope that he wins in the end, because he would deserve it.”
Ocon praises Verstappen’s ruthless approach
Verstappen’s antics in wheel-to-wheel combat have been scrutinised again over recent times amid the stunts he pulled on championship rival Lando Norris in Mexico.
But Ocon, who experienced his own clash with the Red Bull driver in Brazil back in 2018, has expressed that he admires the reigning F1 champion’s ruthless approach.
“Everyone thinks we hate each other, but we don’t,” he stated. “I can appreciate that he races really hard.
“It’s very straightforward and it all depends on who crosses the finish line first. With Max, there’s no bulls**t.”
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