F1 News: Esteban Ocon Addresses Mercedes Rumours - "Strong Links With Them"

Esteban Ocon is adamant he will remain loyal to Alpine.

Esteban Ocon, currently with Alpine, has commented on his "strong links" with the Mercedes team following Lewis Hamilton's surprising news of a move to Ferrari in 2025. The Alpine driver, who is nearing the end of his current contract, has addressed these speculations while affirming his loyalty to Alpine.

Key Takeaways:

• Ocon acknowledges ongoing relations with Mercedes, dating back to his days in their junior programme.
• Despite the swirling rumours about a future with Mercedes, Ocon emphasises his current focus on Alpine.
• Ocon reacts to Lewis Hamilton's surprising move to Ferrari, marking it as an unexpected development in the off-season.

Alpine F1 Instagram

During the Alpine A524's launch event at Enstone, Esteban Ocon addressed the growing speculation about his future in Formula 1. With the motorsport community curious about who might fill the potential vacancy left by Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, Ocon's name has frequently surfaced, given his history with Mercedes and his close connection with team principal Toto Wolff.

"I've always had strong links with Mercedes. I'm still a Merc junior driver. This has always been, even if I'm not that junior anymore. I'm still contracted with them at some stage. So, it is how it is. We will see. At the moment, I'm totally dedicated to Alpine. That's my focus.

“I need to do a good job on track as always. Every year is a crucial year in F1 because it doesn't matter if you have a contract or not. If you don't perform, you can be out. That's how it is.

“If you do a strong job there will be always talks, rumours and good things for you. As long as we talk about you, it means that what you do on track is good," Ocon stated to

Motorsport.com.

The unexpected announcement of Hamilton's switch to Ferrari during the typically quiet winter period took many by surprise, including Ocon. 

"I think the Lewis news surprised everyone for sure.

"Nobody was expecting something like that during the winter because it's quite calm period normally, but it hasn't seemed to be a calm period this winter."

Despite the speculation and the unexpected developments, Ocon remains focused on his commitment to Alpine, where recent management stabilisations have brought a renewed sense of focus and continuity. 

"It's very good to have continuity. You keep the work going, keep the little details going through. And ultimately, that's very important because you have everything to learn if you work with a new team, with new people," Ocon commented.

As the F1 world speculates about Ocon's next moves, his immediate priority is clear: to excel on the track with Alpine, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to his current team while acknowledging his past and ongoing connections with Mercedes.

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