It came to light during the opening day of the Brazil Grand Prix, as Crash.net reports, that Fred Vasseur personally forked out one million dollars to help get Esteban Ocon his very first Formula 1 seat with Manor back in 2016. That staggering financial detail was let slip by Toto Wolff during the Team Principal's press conference at the Brazil Grand Prix, revealing the lengths behind the scenes to land Ocon a drive starting from the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix.
Before breaking into the pinnacle of motorsport, Ocon's path crossed heavily with the German constructors after joining the Mercedes young driver programme prior to the 2015 GP3 season. During that pivotal campaign, the Frenchman raced for Vasseur's ART Grand Prix squad. Wolff detailed the chronology in the press conference between the practice sessions at the Brazil Grand Prix, explaining how Mercedes took on Ocon's management through Gwen after Gravity defaulted, leading them to partner with Fred in GP3.
When a sudden opening materialized at Manor from Spa onwards, a two million dollar price tag stood in the way. Wolff explained that while Mercedes could stump up half that sum, they were still missing one million dollars. That was the exact moment Vasseur stepped up, putting the remaining cash in personally to unlock the door for Esteban.
Vasseur sat right alongside Wolff in that same press conference in Brazil, though he stayed tight-lipped when the conversation shifted to more recent history. The current setup at Haas has seen a sudden split with Ocon, a move orchestrated by Ayao, but Vasseur firmly refused to comment on the matter. Citing that he has enough work handling his own squad, he stated he did not know what transpired between the team and the driver.
Even so, Vasseur did not hold back in praising the driver's underlying character. He called Ocon a pure competitor who poured immense energy into staying on the Formula 1 grid all season long, demanding huge respect for that effort. Ultimately, Wolff reflected on how the broader journey reached its conclusion with team dynamics shifting, noting that Ayao had to protect the team while Ocon stood his ground on his own perspective—proving once again how quickly the tides turn in the paddock.
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