Esteban Ocon has revealed he was “very close” to replacing Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes for the 2020 F1 season.

Left without a 2019 race seat after he was dropped by Racing Point in favour of team owner Lawrence Stroll’s son, Lance, Ocon returned to his parent team Mercedes.

Sitting on the sidelines as the team’s official reserve driver, Ocon was rumoured to be Mercedes’ favourite to replace Bottas after the Finn’s mid-season slump.

Mercedes, though, opted to give Bottas another season with Ocon then signing for Renault as Daniel Ricciardo’s new team-mate.

The 23-year-old Frenchman says he was “very close” to partnering Lewis Hamilton in 2020.