Although this week’s Barcelona test sees a couple of up-and-coming talents enjoy some valuable F1 track time, reigning FIA F3 European champion Esteban Ocon was not initially scheduled to join the action.
But the GP3 race winner received a last-minute call up from Mercedes customer team Force India when Nick Yelloly, who was supposed to run on Wednesday, was asked to stand in for the unwell Pascal Wehrlein a day earlier.
Now a Mercedes protégé, Ocon will sample the VJM08 tomorrow at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya but was already spotted all smiles in the Force India garage today.
