Force India believe Ocon is as good as Verstappen

Force India chief Otmar Szafnauer believes his team have a driver in Esteban Ocon who is 'every bit as good' as current F1 wonderkid, Max Verstappen, even if the former cost 'a hundredth' of the finances which Red Bull have spent to land the Dutchman.

Ocon made his F1 debut last season and impressed immediately as he scored points in his very first Grand Prix. He went on to finish in the top 10 in all but two races and only retired in one - in the penultimate GP in Brazil.

The French driver and Verstappen are viewed by many as two of the most exciting prospects in F1, and Szafnauer thinks there is not much between the duo in terms of ability.

“It’s hard to know because they are driving different cars. But Max has signed a big contract with Red Bull and we’ve probably got Ocon for a hundredth of the price," Szafnauer told Sky Sports.

“I think Esteban is every bit as good. The first time we ran Esteban in the car we knew he was something special.

“He understands the car really well. He’s got great car control and because of it he can get to the limit very quickly and then he describes what he feels. He also knows what he wants from the car, which is very mature for his age.”

He added: “I think his biggest achievement is his continuous improvement. From where he started 2017 to where he is now, he’s improved in many aspects and I think because of that he’s scored in all-but two races and continues to push Checo. On any given Saturday we don’t know who is going to out-qualify who.”

Unfortunately for Force India, Ocon is only on loan from Mercedes for the moment, and Sznafnauer knows his team should enjoy their driver before he returns to the Silver Arrows.

“Sometimes leasing is better than buying. They might have him back and I think the better he does, the more likelihood of him stepping up to a Mercedes role at some point but for now he’s with us. We’ll see what the future holds but I think he will continue to improve.”