Ocon: Racing in 2022 ‘more like the go-kart days’

Esteban Ocon has compared racing in the new F1 era to the drivers’ karting roots, given the opportunities to follow one another closely and better overtaking possibilities than last season.

Alpine driver Ocon was at the centre of one of the most entertaining battles of the race in Saudi Arabia last weekend, his nip-and-tuck fight with team-mate Fernando Alonso lasting for several laps as they diced for position without team orders before Ocon’s race engineer eventually told him to hold position behind the two-time former World Champion.

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Tightly-fought racing has taken place throughout the field in the early rounds of the season, with drivers lining up to praise the differences in the ability to race each other – Kevin Magnussen in particular saying it is “so much better” than when he left the sport at the end of 2020.

Ocon is no different, saying the regulation changes have had a positive impact on the driving experience, offering him and others more chances to get into close combat.

How good was that Alonso v Ocon battle? @FP1Will joined us to discuss the clash of the pink panthers and much more in our latest Torquing Point Show:https://t.co/RncrGI0s0m #F1 pic.twitter.com/K7wS279soy

— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) March 29, 2022

“It was a lot of fun,” said Ocon after the chequered flag