Frenchman to drive new team's current car in year-ending test
Wednesday 20 November 2019 18:35, UK
Esteban Ocon will start work at Renault the day after the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP - and drive their 2019 car at the test that follows.
The Frenchman, who has spent this year in a reserve role at Mercedes, is replacing Nico Hulkenberg in Renault's line-up for 2020 next to Daniel Ricciardo.
And Renault have now confirmed that Ocon will start preparation work for next year in the tyre test at Yas Marina on December 3-4, the final F1 track running of 2019.
The 23-year-old made his F1 weekend with the Enstone team, then known as Lotus, in Practice One at the 2014 Abu Dhabi GP and spent a half-year there as third driver in 2016 before landing a race seat at Manor.
Ocon then spent two seasons at Force India before losing his seat for this season.
The two-day post-season test in Abu Dhabi will see teams run the planned 2020 Pirelli tyres, with the Italian manufacturer having worked to develop them outside of race weekends through the year.
The arrival of Ocon at Renault, and the expected promotion of Nicholas Latifi at Williams in place of the departing Robert Kubica, are the only two seats set to change hands over the winter grid.
Williams are set to confirm their plans after the Abu Dhabi finale on December 1.
F1's other eight teams are retaining their exisiting line-ups.
