Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane, known professionally as Esteban Ocon, is a French racing driver who most recently competed in Formula 1 for the Alpine series. He took his first F1 victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with the team.
Ocon began his karting career at the age of nine, where he won many national and international titles. He moved into junior formula racing in 2012, steadily climbing the ranks to establish himself as a talented competitor in motorsport.
File
- Full name: Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane
- Stage name: Esteban Ocon
- Date of birth: September 17, 1996
- Age: 28 years old
- Place of birth: Évreux, Normandy, France
- Nationality: French
- Occupation: French sports car racer
- Height: 1.86 m
- Parents: Laurent Ocon, Sabrina Ocon
- Siblings: Unknown
- Partner: Flavy Barla (2023–present)
- Girlfriend: Elena Berri (2018–22023)
- Children: Unknown
- Relationship: Not married
- Net worth: $5 million and $21 million
Early life and education
Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane was born on September 17, 1996 in Évreux, Normandy, France. He is the son of Sabrina Khelfane and Laurent Ocon, a mechanic who owns a garage in their hometown. While there is no confirmation about him having any siblings.
Ocon’s educational background was limited as he spent most of his time developing his racing career. Having started racing karts at a young age, he quickly demonstrated exceptional talent, which became the foundation for his path to professional motorsport.
His family’s sacrifices, including selling his house and living in a caravan to support his career, played a key role in his early success. Ocon is of French ethnicity, and although his religious beliefs are not known to the public,
Career
Esteban Ocon began his motorsport journey in karting at the age of 9, quickly demonstrating his talent by winning many national and international titles. His karting career began in 2006, finishing eighth in the Minime class of the French Championship.
Ocon won the championship title in 2007 and followed it up with another championship in the Cadet class in 2008, outperforming future racing stars such as Anthoine Hubert and Pierre Gasly. Recognizing his potential, Gravity Sports Management, a sister company of the Renault F1 team, signed him at the age of 14, setting the stage for his rise in motorsport.
In 2012, Ocon switched to single-seaters, making his debut in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 with Koiranen Motorsports. He stepped up to Formula 3 in 2013, competing in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix with Prema Powerteam, where he finished 10th despite stalling at the start.
Continuing with Prema, Ocon raced in the 2014 FIA Formula 3 European Championship, further honing his skills. In 2015, he entered the GP3 Series with the ART Grand Prix and won the championship despite only taking one race win, showing remarkable consistency as he finished eight points clear of Luca Ghiotto.
Ocon made his Formula 1 debut at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Rio Haryanto at Manor for the remainder of the season. In 2017, he joined Force India (later Racing Point), partnering Sergio Pérez.
After two competitive seasons, he left the team at the end of 2018 and worked as a reserve driver for Mercedes in 2019. Ocon returned to a full-time F1 seat in 2020 with Renault, achieving his first podium position at the Sakhir Grand Prix. In 2021, he partnered Fernando Alonso at the rebranded Alpine team and took his first Grand Prix win at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Ocon’s journey with Alpine continued through 2024, during which he achieved notable milestones, including his first fastest lap at the United States Grand Prix and a podium finish at the stricken São Paulo Grand Prix. affected by rain.
Despite a challenging 2022 season, he overtook Alonso in the championship, becoming the first teammate to do so since Jenson Button in 2015. By the end of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ocon had accumulated amassing one race win, four podiums and one fastest race in Formula One.
After leaving Alpine following the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, Ocon is set to join Haas in 2025, starting a new chapter in his F1 career.
Social Media
- Instagram handle: @estebanocon
- Facebook manager: Esteban Ocon
- Twitter handle: Esteban Ocon
Personal life
Esteban Ocon was previously in a long-term relationship with Italian model Elena Berri, which began in 2018 and lasted until their split in mid-2023. The couple often shared glimpses of their relationship through public appearances and social media before amicably parting ways.
In late 2023, Ocon began dating Flavy Barla, a medical student and former Miss Côte d’Azur. Their relationship first attracted attention through subtle interactions on social media, sparking speculation among fans and the media.
The couple made their first public appearance together at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November 2023, confirming their relationship.
Net worth
Esteban Ocon’s net worth is estimated to be between $5 million and $21 million as of 2024. The lower estimate reflects his base income from his Formula 1 career, which includes a daily salary. The year is reported to be about $5 million from Alpine, as well as income from team-related sponsorships.
