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Wolff: Teams didn't have the balls to sign Ocon

Published on 14 Sep 2018 12:55
17
By: Fergal Walsh

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says that two teams "didn't have the balls" to sign his junior driver Esteban Ocon despite deals being on the table during the summer. The Frenchman is likely to miss out on a race seat for 2019 as Lance Stroll is set to take his place at Force India.

During the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, it was looking likely that Ocon would be signed up by Renault for next. However, it opted to go for Daniel Ricciardo in a last minute decision who made the call to leave Red Bull.

Ocon then looked to McLaren before it confirmed that Lando Norris would take up the second seat alongside Carlos Sainz. Speaking to Sky Sports, Wolff admitted that Ocon is unlikely to be in F1 next season, but promised Mercedes would look after his future.

“What was going on in July and August was unbelieveable,” Wolff said. "There was so much politics, hidden agendas, lies going on in the background. Not all of the good kids are going to end up in cars and Esteban is probably going to be one of them.

"We will look after him as he is one of the future stars. In July he had two offers on the table with contracts on the table and it was just a matter of choosing which team was the right one. He ended up not having any anymore because people simply don’t have the balls to stick to what they say.”

McLaren, Renault and Red Bull previously admitted that Ocon was an unattractive option due to his Mercedes links. But Wolff says that there is no way he would let Ocon go as he is confident Mercedes will secure his long-term future in F1.

“Not in a million years,” he said when poised with the question about releasing him. “Because one day he is going to be in a Mercedes and win championships and show all the others out there that they made a mistake.”

Fergal Walsh

denis1304

Posts: 284

including YOU

1
Sep 14 2018 - 13:07

F1 News Daniel Ricciardo Susie Wolff Esteban Ocon Lance Stroll Lando Norris McLaren Force India Renault Mercedes

Replies (17)

denis1304

Posts: 284
including YOU
- + 1
- Sep 14 2018 - 13:07
KyalamiKid

Posts: 146
Toto didnt have the balls to sign him earlier, and now he s without a drive thanks to Toto not releasing him... That s some great talent managing right there
- + 1
- Sep 14 2018 - 13:11
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  Yeah... I tend to like Toto and his style but in this case it was Mercedes that really lacked the balls to sign him up. Williams could benefit from his services but they only hire pay drivers now. Force India should have kept him, but Stroll was forced in. Sauber is for Ferrari juniors, Renault is excused, they got the best possible available lineup for a rising midfield team, McLaren was not a good fit for either side, Haas... they seem happy with their miserable lineup.
  + 1
  
  Sep 14 2018 - 17:32
F1_IS_Dead

Posts: 123
Why should a team sign a driver whose job is to let Mercedes pass. Ocon would be a security risk for every serious F1 team. A Mercedes Trojan horse.

"lies going on in the background"

Wolff is the one spreading lies, every time he opens his mouth.
- + 1
- Sep 14 2018 - 13:31
talktohenry

Posts: 362
Bye bye Bottas in 2020 then
- + 0
- Sep 14 2018 - 14:13
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
Rich coming from you, mr 50 shades of Wolff!
- + 0
- Sep 14 2018 - 16:44
Bhurt

Posts: 320
It all comes down to the fact that Ferrari, Renault and Honda took control of the grid away from Merc by forging closer bonds with their customers. Merc dropping the ball in that area is the fault of Merc themselves. Toto can point the blame in whatever direction he wishes, but until he points it at himself he's just spreading lies himself.
- + 0
- Sep 14 2018 - 18:25
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  Well lets not start putting on tinfoil hats either. It's not that complicated. Mercedes is not the boogieman for all malice in F1.
  + 0
  
  Sep 14 2018 - 18:46
- Bhurt
  
  Posts: 320
  Who said they were? The fact is they slept while the other manufacturers got closer to their customer teams.
  + 0
  
  Sep 14 2018 - 21:55
- cricho
  
  Posts: 80
  I don't think they slept while winning 4 drivers and team
  Championships .... they simply have a different method for managing their junior drivers.
  Maybe it's not the best way to manage their jr drivers ...I agree. But for MERC it works. They will always have various top class drivers to choose from to race their cars.
  + 0
  
  Sep 15 2018 - 13:43
michielhimself

Posts: 132
Mercedes didn't have the balls to sell their engines to Red Bull.
- + 0
- Sep 14 2018 - 19:41
Kean

Posts: 692
Perhaps instead of paying Hamilton £50 mil, you could have paid him £35 mil and offered £15 mil to Williams for them to take Ocon. Was Hamilton really in that good of a bargaining position? Could Hamilton have moved to Ferrari if Mercedes would have agreed to less money?
- + 1
- Sep 14 2018 - 20:26
- blade
  
  Posts: 341
  Keen - I think this season's performances answer that question - it is Hamilton's superior ability that has kept Merc ahead of Ferrari - he's the one driving the team to high performance, is he worth 10m more than Vettel - easily. Let's see which team and driver wins the titles, as they say, the table doesn't lie after 20 odd GPs.
  + 0
  
  Sep 14 2018 - 23:12
blade

Posts: 341
Wolff bottled it by signing Bottas?? I don't think so - was everyone clamouring about Ocon to the level they are now 24 mrs ago? Was everyone in awe of Ocon 12 mrs ago - again I don't think they were t the extent they are now - so its tough to judge Wolff harshly on that basis - it is in the last 12 mrs that Ocon;s ability and maturity has shone through - I think the only criticism we could level at Wolff is his inability to see that performance level 123 months ago - but he's a young kid - it's hard to level that at him.
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- Sep 14 2018 - 23:14
- xoya
  
  Posts: 583
  Da fuck you on about?
  + 0
  
  Sep 15 2018 - 02:43
xoya

Posts: 583
Unlike Mercedes who had so much "balls" to sign their own junior driver and... Oh wait!
- + 0
- Sep 14 2018 - 23:15
cricho

Posts: 80
Totos plan with Ocon was to have him racing with another F1 team during 2019 seasons and then give him the MERC car seat. His plan failed do to a crazy 2018 drIvers market, swaps, retirements etc...
I see a Worst case scenario for Ocon being reserve driver for MERC 2019 and then jumping my him to a MERC F1 car for 2020. Not too bad either....
Hope he gets a drive seat for F1 - 2019 season! Awesome driver!!
- + 0
- Sep 14 2018 - 23:19