Esteban Ocon says he's trained more for 2020 than ever before!
F1 News
Esteban Ocon says that his training has been even more extreme than before as he prepares to make his F1 return with Renault in 2020, even after a busy year as Mercedes' reserve driver. Ocon replaced Nico Hulkenberg at the French team at the end of 2019, making his return to the sport after he was forced out at Racing Point at the end of 2018.
Seen as one of the most talented youngesters on the grid, Ocon impressed during his time at Force India/Racing Point and has been tipped as a future Mercedes driver, although that may be in doubt now he has signed a multi-year deal with Renault.
Ocon's schedule was a busy one with Mercedes, and he told Autosport: "I was not sleeping for two days [at a time], it was quite crazy - the amount of travel I was doing, and the amount of hours I was doing in the simulator and then travelling to track, doing stuff for Mercedes.
"They used me well, but a lot. I was destroyed basically, from the year."
Coming back stronger
Despite his busy year with Mercedes, Ocon fully believes he can return at a higher level than before, and he's been doing enough training for it.
The Frenchman continued: "I spent the whole time off I had fully at my training camp, at altitude in the Pyrenees, like I've done in the past but even more.
"Instead of starting fifth or sixth of January, I was there on the second. Instead of going back for Christmas the evening of 23rd [of December], I was there on the 24th. Stuff like that.
"And I didn't see home the whole winter. I was going back and forward to the factory."