Esteban Ocon offered no form of resistance to Lewis Hamilton when the Mercedes driver overtook the Force India early on in the Monaco Grand Prix, and we now know why.

Hamilton was the first of the front-runners to pit for fresh tyres yesterday, rejoining the race on lap 12 sixth, just behind Ocon.

The current leader of the world championship breezed by the Frenchman however two laps later as the pair exited the tunnel.

Questioned on the move after the race by Sky Italia and asked if he had perhaps "made life too easy" for the Mercedes driver, Ocon hinted that an order had come into play.

"I'm a Mercedes driver, you should ask the boss," Ocon replied.

"It was pointless to fight with him, especially as he had new tyres," he added.

Asked if there is an 'unwritten rule' that Force India not make life difficult for Mercedes, Ocon answered: "Maybe."

Indeed, a reporter from Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure put the question to Toto Wolff himself, the Silver Arrows boss admitting Ocon had been ordered to yield to Hamilton.

"Yes, because that's the way it is," said Wolff!

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Former Sky F1’s Rachel Brookes confirms exciting new venture

Former Sky Sports F1 reporter Rachel Brookes has mapped out her next destination following her…

44 minutes ago

Bortoleto makes long-term F1 future clear: ‘I’ll be with Audi’

Gabriel Bortoleto has made it clear that his future lies firmly with Audi, with the…

2 hours ago

Red Bull junior Tsolov lined up for TPC F1 test

Nikola Tsolov’s rapid rise through the junior ranks will soon take another significant step forward,…

21 hours ago

Hans Binder: Not exactly a local hero but kudos for trying

The great Niki Lauda was conspicuously absent from the starting grid of the Austrian Grand…

23 hours ago

Stroll swaps F1 misery for £3m Aston Martin joyride

Lance Stroll doesn’t have much to celebrate with Aston Martin this season, but at least…

24 hours ago

Russell still bears the scars of his Mercedes debut and heartbreak

George Russell has gone on to become a seven-time Grand Prix winner with Mercedes and…

1 day ago