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Wolff still trusts Renault despite Ocon debacle

Photo: © LAT Images

Wolff still trusts Renault despite Ocon debacle

The Frenchman was left with no seat for 2019.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff still trusts Renault, and his Renault counterpart Cyril Abiteboul, despite the French team not fulfilling their agreement to take on Esteban Ocon as a driver for 2019.

After Force India was changed to Racing Point under the ownership of Lawrence Stroll, Ocon lost his seat with the team as Lance Stroll was brought over from Williams.

Ocon, a Mercedes junior driver, was then strongly linked with a move to Renault, only for the team to recruit Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull instead, ultimately leaving Ocon without a seat for the 2019 campaign.

The Frenchman has subsequently been confirmed as a Renault driver for 2020, replacing Nico Hulkenberg, and Wolff seems content that things have worked out in the end.

“No, we never lost the trust,” he told Motorsport.com when asked whether his relationship with Renault had become fractured.

“There are so many common things that we discuss between Renault and Mercedes, where we discuss how the sport should go, and that as much as the situation on Esteban affected us and we let some words slip, this is part of the game.

“There were phases where we were upset with each other, but then you need to move on. It hasn’t changed anything on the respect I have for Cyril, and the respect I have for Renault as a brand.

“That’s why we moved on. We need to play hard and forgive quickly.”

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