Esteban Ocon has opened up about sensitive interactions with Formula 1 fans, as some of them proved to be obsessed or hostile.
The one-time grand prix winner and four-time podium finisher has had his fair share of fan interactions since his F1 debut in 2016; in an in-depth interview with French YouTube channel Legend, he praised most enthusiasts for being “super kind”.
However, Ocon revealed he had some unpleasant experiences, which include a fan driving across France to his family home.
“Once, a rather old man took a taxi because, in his eyes, I was like a son – just because I’d signed an autograph once,” Ocon recounted. “He took a taxi all the way from the south of France to Evreux [in Normandy], where my parents reside – he found their address.
“He rang the intercom; I was away and so were my parents, so my grandmother was alone. He asked my grandmother, ‘May I come in?’. My grandmother obviously said no, so the man got angry and said, ‘My son is about to get home’, referring to me.
“He had spent all his money on the taxi and didn’t really have anywhere to go. But we didn’t know that man, so this was a tricky situation. He ended up leaving, but that’s a bit scary, someone who finds your address like that.”
Ocon also mentioned how a hater once accosted him in public, expressing his aversion towards the current Haas driver.
“A fan on the street came to me and said: ‘You, I don’t like you’. I said: ‘Is that so? Why?’. He said: ‘I don’t like you, I really dislike your vibe on social media’,” Ocon related.
“I was quite affected initially, because I don’t think I’m a bad person. I never hurt anyone. The fact he said he didn’t like me despite not knowing me, it affected me a bit.
“In the end, we had a 10-minute chat on the sidewalk. We talked about plenty of things and situations. He explained why he thought I wasn’t a nice guy. And at the end of the chat, he said: ‘You know, I’ve changed my mind. I like you!’.
“I found it super interesting. You can have a ‘vibe’ on social media, your image, what the media might say about you. But in the end, when you actually know the person, it’s different.”
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