Thursday, 7 May 2015

Ocon joins Mercedes Benz racing programme with contract option for the future

(© Ben Johnston 2015)

Mercedes have confirmed that they support reigning FIA Formula 3 European Champion Esteban Ocon throughout the 2015 season and beyond.

The 18 year old Frenchman will drive for ART Grand Prix in the GP3 championship starting with this weekend’s event in Barcelona. ART have been supported by Mercedes for a long time and along with the support in GP3, Ocon has also been announced as official test and reserve driver to Mercedes Benz AMG DTM team.

As part of the package, Ocon has signed a contract that will see him become a fully-fledged Mercedes Benz driver in the future. Speaking about the announcement, Head of Mercedes Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff stated:

Esteban is a mega-talented young guy and one of the stars of the future. I’m pleased we’ve found a good path to continue his relationship with Mercedes-Benz, because we have a strong tradition of supporting the best young drivers with a view to their long-term potential. We will be watching Esteban’s progress with a lot of interest and I hope this year will be the first of many working together.

Esteban Ocon stated:

 “I’m really proud to have the support of Mercedes-Benz this season and that the Mercedes AMG DTM team has trusted me with the important role of test and reserve driver. I spent last weekend with the DTM team in Hockenheim and hope that I can play a valuable role this year. But my main focus is on the opening races of the GP3 Series this weekend. I am proud to be racing with support from Mercedes-Benz and in a fantastic team like ART Grand Prix. I hope that I can compete for the title this year, starting with strong results in Barcelona.”

© Ben Johnston 2015


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