Ocon 'lacking maturity' and not my best teammate, says Perez
Ocon 'lacking maturity' and not my best teammate, says Perez
Sergio Perez says Esteban Ocon still lacks "maturity" and could see his Formula 1 career seriously harmed by spending 2019 on the sidelines. Ocon will serve as Mercedes' third driver this year, having seen race seats on the F1 grid slip through his fingers.
Ocon was expected to swap Force India for Renault in 2019, but Daniel Ricciardo's surprise move from Red Bull blocked his path and subsequent talks with McLaren, Toro Rosso and Williams stumbled over the Frenchman's links to the Silver Arrows.
Although Toto Wolff says he is sure Ocon will be back on the grid in 2020 – perhaps even with Mercedes if Valtteri Bottas' performance doesn't improve – Perez has issued caution towards his former teammate.
Perez told Motorsport.com: "Definitely. It definitely can hurt him more than it can benefit him.
"Formula 1 is evolving so much year by year. You never know what the future will hold.
"He is in a great position with Mercedes. He definitely deserves a seat in Formula 1, he is one of the best drivers in this sport.
"But I think a year out of this can change so much. Maybe he comes back and drives for Mercedes, but you never know what the future will hold.
"So, it is a risky move."
Ocon won the qualifying battle by a strong margin over Perez in 2019, but the Mexican finished ahead on the standings, largely thanks to his podium finish in Baku.
And Perez says, though Ocon is talented, he is not the teammate he ranks highest among his F1 colleagues.
"I rate quite highly all my team-mates," said Perez. "They are all different. But the one that I rate the most is Hulkenberg and I think Esteban is there, he is in that group.
"I think he is lacking some maturity still, but I think that will come with the time."
MORE: Ocon could quit F1 in 2020
MORE: Ocon helped and hurt by Mercedes - Villeneuve
Change your timezone:
Latest News
McLaren leading fight for HUGE cash injection
- 25 minutes ago
Newey set to announce STUNNING Red Bull departure
- Today 17:57
Newey Red Bull exit wish CONFIRMED as F1 guru's reasons revealed
- 1 hour ago
F1 legend reveals 'FLOOD' of death threats after controversial decision
- 2 hours ago
Adrian Newey: The life and career of Red Bull's departing genius
- 2 hours ago
Sky Sports F1 pundit dumbfounded by key Ferrari decision
- 3 hours ago
- 2
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860