Renault to monitor and evaluate Ocon at Manor

As he makes his Formula 1 debut for Manor starting this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon will be in the spotlight as he is evaluated and monitored by Renault with a view to his future with the team.

The French teenager has been drafted into the Manor team, replacing out of funds Rio Haryanto, and will be up against highly rated Pascal Wehrlein. This will give Renault the opportunity to evaluate Ocon for a possible race seat with the squad in the future.

Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul said, "It is an outstanding opportunity for Esteban to gather mileage and race experience in a young, stable and very professional team."

“He will be up against a highly rated and quick teammate, which will enable us to evaluate him in a representative environment. I hope this experience will be of great benefit for him and for Renault in the near future.”

“Esteban joining Manor Racing for the last nine races of the season demonstrates the excellent relationship Renault and Mercedes have maintained for several years,” added Abiteboul.

Paddock speculation suggests that either Kevin Magnussen pr Jolyon Palmer, or even both, will be axed at the end of the season.

But team principal Frédéric Vasseur insists, “At the moment our focus is to keep getting the best from the car,” he said. “We have two drivers that are motivated so the second part of the year is to keep track of expectations and see where we are.

“In reality we won’t take any decision before September for sure – we have no time! But it is up to us and we will take a decision when we are ready.”