Why I hope Esteban Ocon’s F1 story isn’t over yet

It saddens me that Esteban Ocon may not be in F1 next year because I think he still deserves to have a ride.

He became the 111th driver to win a Grand Prix in Hungary in 2021, in that odd race when everybody bar Lewis Hamilton pitted for dry tyres at the end of the grid formation lap. And he did it the hard way.

The comments from the rivals he beat that day – four-time champion Sebastian Vettel who chased him all the way (and whose Aston Martin was later disqualified); seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton; and his double championship-winning Alpine team mate Fernando Alonso – made interesting reading.