Manor have announced that Ocon will be racing alongside Wehrlein for the rest of the season after Haryanto failed to meet contractual requirements. Esteban Ocon has participated in 3 practice sessions for Renault this year as a reserve driver and has also completed a test for Mercedes.
With strong links to the Mercedes team, racing for Mercedes in DTM also, Ocon is an obvious replacement for the Indonesian. Ocon has said:
“I’m thrilled that I’ll be making my Grand Prix debut with Manor Racing later this month, and at Spa, of all circuits, which is the next best thing to my home race…I’m ready for this exciting step up, thanks to the experience I’ve gained as a Formula One reserve driver this season.”
Having scored points in Austria and often finishing ahead of Renault and Sauber, Manor have made significant gains this season thanks to a partnership with Mercedes. Going into the second half of the season, they hope their strong driver line up will help them continue to progress.