Esteban Ocon will become a centenarian in F1 as early as Sunday

A milestone will be reached. This Sunday, barring any issues, Esteban Ocon is set to compete in his hundredth Formula 1 race. The Frenchman made his debut in the sport halfway through the 2016 season, replacing Rio Haryanto starting from the Belgian Grand Prix, with Manor.

His performances within the now-defunct team convinced Force India (currently Aston Martin), with whom he shared the garage with Sergio Perez. However, internal tensions and a takeover by Lawrence Stroll led to him being sidelined.

He then bounces back at Mercedes as a reserve driver before Renault (now Alpine) puts its trust in him. Since 2020, the Frenchman has returned to the pinnacle of motorsport and achieved his first victory in Hungary last year.

His experience in Formula 1 is not from today, yet he claims not to have seen the time go by. « Yeah, it’s crazy how time flies! I don’t feel like I’ve done that many races, but it’s awesome. »

It’s moving, I would say, to feel this, reaching 100 races is something special in a career, and yes, I am definitely a different driver compared to when I started. I know a lot more about the sport, how to perform, how to set up a car, how to work with a Formula 1 team. It feels good to come this far.

« I have obviously improved since I returned. I was at 50 races by the end of 2018, but I think the last 50 were much better than the first 50. I am also very happy to have achieved two podium finishes, including one victory. There have been many great highlights, but I hope I can create more for the next 100. »

On Sunday, Esteban Ocon is expected to become the 75th driver to reach the milestone of 100 Formula 1 races.