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Formula 1: Esteban Ocon’s Renault contract is not a Mercedes loan

By Asher Fair

SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 14: Esteban Ocon of France and Force India walks in the Paddock before practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 14, 2018 in Singapore. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 14: Esteban Ocon of France and Force India walks in the Paddock before practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 14, 2018 in Singapore. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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Esteban Ocon is set to drive for Renault beginning in the 2020 Formula 1 season on a two-year contract, but he will not be on loan from Mercedes.

After months of speculation, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport made their decision regarding their 2020 Formula 1 driver lineup. Instead of promoting reserve and test driver Esteban Ocon, they opted to re-sign Valtteri Bottas for what is set to be his fourth consecutive season driving for the team.

As a result, Ocon ended up signing a two-year contract with Renault to replace Nico Hulkenberg beginning in the 2020 season.

The 22-year-old Frenchman signing with the French marque had been rumored for quite some time, especially as it became more and more clear that Mercedes were going to retain the 30-year-old Finn.

However, it was thought that Ocon would join Renault on loan from Mercedes.

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Last season, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul had a handshake agreement to send Ocon to Renault on loan from the Silver Arrows. However, Abiteboul backed out of his deal and signed Daniel Ricciardo, who made the shocking decision to leave Red Bull Racing, to a two-year contract.

Earlier this summer, Wolff urged Abiteboul to “restore his gentleman image” by signing Ocon for the 2020 season, which effectively illustrated that he was not quite ready for him at the factory Mercedes team to pair with five-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

As stated above, Ocon is, in fact, set to drive for Renault next year.

But he will NOT be on loan from Mercedes.

In fact, he will not retain any contractual ties to the Brackley-based team after the 2019 season whatsoever.

Here is what Abiteboul had to say about Ocon’s two-year contract with Renault, according to Motorsport.

"“He is a Renault driver. That is very clear. Mercedes will have absolutely no right on him for the duration of his contract. The small difference is that his management company happen to be a racing team and that is Mercedes. But it is a slightly different set-up from the set-up that we had with Carlos [Sainz Jr.] last year. That was on a loan and not a contract with Red Bull, but he [Ocon] will be a fully fledged Renault driver.”"

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Will Esteban Ocon ever end up back in the Mercedes organization? What does this mean for the team’s future in Formula 1 when Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton are no longer driving for the team? Is Mercedes junior driver, 2017 GP3 Series champion, 2018 Formula 2 champion and current Williams driver George Russell now the heir apparent to whichever one of these two drivers stops driving for the team first?

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