Three questions for Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon

You can now look back on three DTM race weekends. What are your initial thoughts?
Esteban Ocon: "The first race weekend at Hockenheim actually started off quite well. We were pleased with our pace, but the races themselves were best forgotten. I had no luck at all and was unable to finish either of the two races. So obviously it wasn't exactly the sort of debut you would wish for. Then, at Spielberg and the Lausitzring, we weren't strong enough to finish in the points. But we are working hard to raise our performance to a level where we can soon be scoring points and making podium appearances."

Did you expect the DTM to be so tough?
Esteban Ocon: "Absolutely not. I never thought that it would be so tough, driving in the DTM. But I think I'm now beginning to understand the series better. In the DTM, experience is extremely important. You have to have confidence in your car and get used to this type of racing. The wheel-to-wheel action is definitely the biggest difference compared to single-seater racing. But I'm learning more with every weekend and hope to be scoring my first points some time soon. If we manage to get it all together on a single weekend, then a decent result is definitely achievable. Everyone on the team is working very hard for that."

When your Formula 1 responsibilities are also taken into account, you already have ten race weekends behind you this year. How do you feel it's going in general?
Esteban Ocon: "It's still incredible fun. Being able to combine the DTM and F1 is fantastic, because you learn so much. An opportunity like this doesn't come along every day. Obviously the pressure is great, but I can't really complain."