Esteban Ocon is the final driver to experience F1.com\u2019s quickfire Getting to Know questions. From growing up admiring Michael Schumacher to an amusing series of interviews after his driving test, and his passion for superhero comics to a potential side quest tuning cars, the Haas man shares all in the video player above and transcript below\u2026<\/p>\n
Can you describe yourself in three words?<\/p>\n
Three words to describe myself\u2026 Motivated, a hard worker, and I don\u2019t know\u2026 Maybe I\u2019ll let the people comment on the last one!<\/p>\n
Drop it in the comments\u2026<\/p>\n
Exactly!<\/p>\n
What made you fall in love with F1? Is there a moment watching on TV as a kid that stands out?<\/p>\n
Yeah, I think Michael Schumacher<\/a> was the driver who made me fall in love with F1. I remember watching the Monaco Grand Prix where he was leading and then suddenly after the tunnel\u2026 You couldn\u2019t see back then, the quality in the tunnel was not so great\u2026 I saw him with not all the wheels attached to the car<\/a>, and he lost that race. For some reason, that broke my heart at the time. I didn\u2019t know him so well, I\u2019d heard people talking about him, but those moments shock you as a kid. That is still in there somewhere. It\u2019s quite a moment that strikes me.<\/p>\n When and where did you first drive something?<\/p>\n The first time… I remember I had a little Ferrari with pedals. We were living in a very small flat with my parents, my parents put it outside the door for an evening, and I remember the following morning I went to take the car and it wasn\u2019t there \u2013 I got it stolen. It was a heartbreaking moment, really. That was the first thing I drove when I was young.<\/p>\n It\u2019s sad to hear that\u2026 But it worked out okay in the long run!<\/p>\n Yes, yes!<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of pressure on this next question\u2026 How many times did it take you to pass your driving test?<\/p>\n It took me one month in total. In France you have to do 20 hours minimum. I passed everything first go. I was very proud because the teacher basically told me, \u2018You were the best I\u2019ve had in a while\u2019. I was like, \u2018Pretty good, then!\u2019, I was happy. It was quite a stressful time, because there were some journalists who were outside. The [instructor] didn\u2019t know what they were here for, because I was already testing F1 before I got my driving licence. I really didn\u2019t want him to know, because if he had a bad thought, he would not have given it to me, but he said I was the best in a while, so I was happy.<\/p>\n Already like going to the TV pen after your driving test, then\u2026<\/p>\n (Laughs) Basically that, yeah!<\/p>\n Who\u2019s your best friend inside the paddock?<\/p>\n It has to be Lance [Stroll] and Mick [Schumacher]. We really got along super well, also outside the track, so they are my two best friends around the F1 paddock.<\/p>\n Which three F1 personalities past or present would you invite to a dinner party and why?<\/p>\n Probably Ayao [Komatsu, Haas team boss] and Ollie [Bearman, Ocon\u2019s team mate]. I think it would be a fun one.<\/p>\n Keep it in the family\u2026<\/p>\n For sure, yeah. If we\u2019ve got something to celebrate, that\u2019s cool!<\/p>\n We know you\u2019re a big fan of Marvel Comics\u2026 What is your biggest interest or hobby outside F1?<\/p>\n That\u2019s a big passion of mine. I\u2019m really into comics, Marvel Comics in particular. We have some exciting movies coming out next year, which are going to be awesome. A new Spider-Man, new Avengers. It\u2019s going to be really cool, I can\u2019t wait for that. I\u2019ve got something special coming soon as well, which will be very nice, and I hope all the fans will love it! It\u2019s going to come before the end of the year, so stay in touch…<\/p>\n Outside of that, I like doing sports with the people I love, mountain biking, going to the gym together\u2026 But I\u2019m a big petrolhead as well, going to work with my dad on cars, on racing buggies, on go-karts, I like to put my hands into it\u2026 RC (Remote Control) cars as well. It\u2019s something I do probably a lot more than a lot of drivers. Probably Fernando [Alonso] is very similar in that case, but I like these things, for sure.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your favourite film of all time?<\/p>\n I think it contradicts what I said before, because I\u2019m a big fan of Marvel, but my favourite movie is The Dark Knight Rises, so it\u2019s actually Batman, kind of. It\u2019s more The Dark Knight than Batman. That has to be my favourite. It\u2019s DC Comics, and I\u2019m not the biggest fan of DC Comics in general otherwise, but that one with Christian Bale is something insane. Then it\u2019s Iron Man and Spiderman!<\/p>\n What\u2019s the best holiday you\u2019ve been on?<\/p>\n I think the last holidays that we had with my family were amazing. Going to the sea\u2026 I think it doesn\u2019t really matter where you are going, in the end it\u2019s who you spend it with. Going with my love, my family, and I think that\u2019s the best thing. There\u2019s nothing more that matters.<\/p>\n And what about the craziest travel experience you\u2019ve had?<\/p>\n Probably going to Lapland or something. That\u2019s insane. You land, everything\u2019s frozen, then you get to drive to the hotel or a little house, all the cars have spiked tyres otherwise you don\u2019t move forward, it\u2019s minus 40 [degrees]\u2026 Yeah, that\u2019s probably the wildest experience. Seeing people with the dogs that they carry, like Santa!<\/p>\n What\u2019s the best advice you\u2019ve ever received?<\/p>\n It\u2019s a good question. I think it has to be from my dad. When I was young, we were sacrificing a lot, I didn\u2019t have a normal kid\u2019s life when I was 10 or 12. He told me, \u2018The most important time of your life is now, it\u2019s what\u2019s going to define your future. If we succeed, you will not have any regrets\u2019. That was probably the best piece of advice, because you put everything negative on the side and you just go for it. Yes, I didn\u2019t have a normal childhood, but here I am living the dream and living the best life possible.<\/p>\n Which other job do you wish you could try for a day? A superhero, maybe?<\/p>\n (Laughs) That would be nice! If I could jump in an Iron Man suit and take off\u2026 I would like to spend a bit more time tuning cars, but from the electronics point of view. I\u2019ve got a lot of people I know very well who spend a lot of time on dynos, trying to get more power out of the engines. I\u2019m very good at understanding the outside hardware of things, but not the software inside \u2013 it\u2019s quite complicated, once you start to put numbers\u2026 That\u2019s the bit where I would like to learn a bit more, so doing an internship in some dyno testing would be nice.<\/p>\n Otherwise, I don\u2019t know, maybe\u2026 It\u2019s still related to cars, but swapping seats with some drift championship guys would be nice. Not for too long, but for a day! I did the WRC (World Rally Championship) as well already, which was insane. There are so many things to try, really. I was talking with my girlfriend not too long ago, and obviously I still have a long time to be racing, but I\u2019ve done that all my life. I\u2019ve never really thought about doing something else, because that\u2019s all I wanted to do. One day it will come, and I will have to think about that, so let\u2019s see!<\/p>\n What\u2019s your proudest moment in F1 so far? A few spring to mind, but what\u2019s top of the list?<\/p>\n Well, it has to be my win in Budapest [in 2021]<\/a> \u2013 that\u2019s the most crazy one. Monaco 2023<\/a> was also very special, because that was unexpected, but it was on merit \u2013 it was very well-deserved. I\u2019m not going to say Brazil last year<\/a> was not on merit, because it was, but it\u2019s more conditions that levels up the cars. I take less credit for the Brazil drive than the one in Monaco, for some reason. Even though it was much harder in Brazil than Monaco\u2026 Monaco we were not supposed to be on the podium\u2026 Also not Brazil! (Laughs) But Monaco rewards you on the dry and it is special, the quali lap, and nailing all the laps in the race. Both are special, but I will definitely take Monaco.<\/p>\n I think I\u2019ll remember that Brazil weekend for the rest of my life\u2026<\/p>\n It was crazy! It was crazy… Especially in a tough time like I had at the end of last year. It reminds me and gives me the confidence that I\u2019m here and I can do it. At the end of the day, I\u2019m here because I\u2019ve proved that I can do it, and it definitely felt nice.<\/p>\n Finally, where do you want to be in five years\u2019 time?<\/p>\n World Champion! That would be nice\u2026 It\u2019s all the matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Esteban Ocon is the final driver to experience F1.com\u2019s quickfire Getting to Know questions. 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