Esteban Ocon made a big impact in the 50 Grands Prix he has on his CV but the travesty of modern Formula 1 is clearly illustrated by the fact that the highly rated youngster has no seat in the top flight next year.
The Mercedes backed Frenchman scored 136 points during his tenure in F1, having made his debut with Manor at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix and his boss Toto Wolff is on record assuring the 22-year-old will be in a competitive car in 2020.
At one point last year, Ocon's shares were at their very highest with Renault courting him and a deal all but signed until Cyril Abiteboul stunned the world by inking a two-year-deal with Daniel Ricciardo, the popular Aussie joining Nico Hulkenberg in the team.
As a result, Carlos Sainz, not wanted at Red Bull, found refuge at McLaren with Ocon left standing when Force India morphed into Racing Point, whose big boss billionaire Lawrence Stroll decided to keep journeyman Sergio Perez alongside his son Lance for whom he bought the team.
Nevertheless, Ocon expects to be busy as Mercedes' third driver, "I will attend all the Grands Prix. I must be on the same page and informed of everything that happens in case I have to return at some point or another. You never know what the future holds in F1."
"During the European races, I will be in the simulator after FP2 to test all the setup options for the car and maximise it for qualifying for Lewis and Valtteri. On Saturday I will fly to the track."
Ocon intends to dedicate himself fully to his role with Mercedes this year and has decided not to take up offers to race in alternative series' to keep sharp.
"Of course it's not great not to race this season but I'm still focused on F1 and I think it's the right choice. I want to be world champion one day. It's my goal and my dream," insisted Ocon.
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