Esteban Ocon commits to DTM
The appointment of Pascal Wehrlein at Manor frees up a spot at Mercedes in DTM. It is taken by Esteban Ocon, who will therefore combine it with his reserve duties at Renault in F1.
The young Norman will therefore have a busy season as he will have to juggle between two different programs: his travels to the Formula 1 Grand Prix with Renault and his competition program in DTM with Mercedes.
He can therefore only be delighted with his new program: « It’s an incredible feeling to be part of such a strong and professional championship. I am thrilled to drive for Mercedes-Benz. It’s the best DTM team and I am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity. Mercedes has had the most success in DTM history. »
Even in the midst of the battle for the GP3 title, which he eventually won, the German touring car championship was Esteban Ocon’s goal, rather than the logical step of GP2. The decision made by the young driver’s management also pleased Pirelli. Indeed, the manufacturer pays 200,000 euros to the GP3 champion only if he participates in the following season in GP2.
If he was able to participate in the first practice session during the finale in Hockenheim due to Daniel Juncadella’s illness, he has not yet started a DTM race. But after two consecutive seasons concluded with a title, his ambitions can only be very high: “After having run in free practice during the last weekend of 2015 in Hockenheim, I can’t wait to take my first start in DTM. I obviously have a lot to learn but my goal, like everyone in the team, is to fight for victories as soon as possible.”
He will therefore dream of following the path of Paul di Resta or Pascal Wehrlein, who were able to move up to F1 after being DTM champion with Mercedes.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
