McLaren chief Zak Brown says that Esteban Ocon’s affiliation with Mercedes was a “tick in the wrong box” when the team was assessing its potential 2019 Formula 1 driver line-up. McLaren spent several months assessing its driver options for next season, a list it had whittled down to four drivers at the most recent Grand Prix in Italy. Those four were understood to be Force India pair Ocon and Sergio Perez, incumbent Stoffel Vandoorne, and reserve driver Lando Norris, whose appointment was then confirmed on Monday. Ocon reportedly visited McLaren’s Woking base for a seat fitting but will not form part of its line-up for 2019, with Carlos Sainz Jr. having already been...
Full Story »