Formula 1 2021: Styrian GP RED BULL RING, AUSTRIA - JUNE 26: Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 during the Styrian GP at Red Bull Ring on Saturday June 26, 2021 in Spielberg, Austria. Photo by Charles Coates / LAT Images Images PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY GP2108_151058_N3I8726
Esteban Ocon is all geared up to represent Alpine at this weekend’s Singapore GP – he highlighted the importance of sim racing.
Esteban Ocon hosted a brief ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. Among the many questions that popped up, a fan asked him: “As you famously come from a more modest family than most of the grid, how would you suggest we make racing more accessible for kids of all kinds of social and economic backgrounds?”
Ocon came up with a very well-summarised answer, highlighting the role of ‘Sim racing’ in developing professional drivers these days irrespective of their backgrounds.
Ocon appreciated the question and stated that nowadays, motorsport has become increasingly expensive. However, there’s a highly effective method for learning how to drive, and that’s through sim racing. Sim racing wasn’t as realistic in his generation, but today, it’s the ideal way to get started in racing, especially if someone lacks a racing background or can’t access a real karting track.
One can master the fundamentals and potentially become a successful racing driver, as exemplified by individuals like Jann Mardenborough, who began his journey in sim racing, where there exists a remarkably high level of competition.
Esteban Ocon was born in Évreux, Normandy, to Sabrine Khelfane and Laurent Ocon. Laurent, his father, is a mechanic who owns a garage in Évreux.
Although Esteban’s paternal family hails from Málaga, Spain, his upbringing was in Évreux. During his karting career, his parents faced financial challenges and had to sell their family home, which also included his father’s garage, to support Esteban’s karting pursuits.
Following the sale of their house, they lived in and traveled to races in a caravan that Esteban also used as a makeshift motor home.
In 2006, Ocon began his karting career by participating in the Minime class of the French Championship, achieving an eighth-place finish. His talents shone in 2007 as he secured the championship title, and he continued his winning streak in 2008, triumphing in the Cadet class, outpacing competitors such as Anthoine Hubert and Pierre Gasly. Following these victories, Ocon spent three years competing in the KF3 category, where he also took part in the Spanish Championship and Italian Open Masters. In 2010, he clinched the French KF3 championship title and, in 2011, came second in the WSK Euro Series, with Max Verstappen leading the series.
At the age of 14, Ocon was signed by Gravity Sports management, a sister company of Renault F1 team. Ocon hasn’t looked back ever since.
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