Berger: Leaving Ocon would mean a big loss for the sport

Former Formula 1 racer Gerhard Berger is convinced that the departure of Esteban Ocon from Formula 1 would mean a huge loss for the sport. The chances for the French racer to stay in Formula 1 are very limited, mainly because he is still bound by a contract with the Mercedes team. The only possible destination seems to be the Williams team. This is where the problem arises, as the team wants to bring a racer who will bring as much money as the team needs, and here the Frenchman is at a disadvantage compared to some other racers. Mercedes team leader Toto Wolf has already said that he will consider terminating his contract with Ocon if it would be best for his future.

Precisely because of the long-term contract between Mercedes and Ocon, some teams - Red Bull, McLaren and Renault - were prevented from possible negotiations for the signing of the talented French racer. Had Ocon not been bound by a contract with Mercedes, he would have been among the most serious candidates for a vacancy at the Toro Rosso team. The Frenchman is facing a similar fate as Pascal Wehrlein, who lost his seat in Formula 1 at the end of last season and thus moved to the DTM car series, where Ocon also competed in 2016.

Berger said:
“I wouldn’t want to see Ocona in the DTM series as that means I wouldn’t be in Formula 1. That would be a big pity for the sport as he is an exceptional racer. It should be the other way around, racers would go from DTM to Formula 1. After some recent changes in the race market, when Leclerc signed a contract with Ferrari and Raikkonen with Sauber, Ocon wrote on his Twitter profile that he was fighting for his I do not intend to surrender the future in Formula 1 yet.

“First of all, I have to thank everyone for your kind messages and the support I receive every day. We have found ourselves in difficult situations in the past and we have always overcome them. There have been no easy paths in my career. I can assure you that I do not intend to surrender.

Motivation is at a very high level and my former competitors are sitting in the best race cars. This gives me an extra boost. I dream the formula, I play, I think about it all the time. I was born to race and my goal is to be a champion. That will always be the case. ”