Having been on the sidelines in 2019, Esteban Ocon said he didn’t quite realise how long it would take for him to get back up to speed once he was back in a race seat.

Ocon was moved aside at Force India at the end of 2018 after Lance Stroll was brought to the team, and the Frenchman had a year off the grid in his capacity as a Mercedes reserve driver.

He came back to Formula 1 the following year by joining Daniel Ricciardo on a two-year deal, and his long-term future has been secured with Alpine until the end of 2024 at least.