Esteban Ocon drops 1-word reaction as French MotoGP rider Johan Zarco wins the French GP at Le Mans

Haas F1 driver Esteban Ocon was left in awe and applauded MotoGP racer Johan Zarco on his win at the French GP in Le Mans on the weekend. The French motorcycle racer pulled off a magical performance on the weekend when he won the race in front of his adoring fans after falling to 17th in the early part of the race.

The LCR Honda racer started the race at the Bugatti Circuit from pole position but crashed out on lap four and slipped to 17th. But he made steady progress through the field and took advantage of his pace when the Marquez brothers pitted.

In the end, Zarco finished over 19 seconds ahead of Marc Marquez to become the first French winner of the French Grand Prix since 1954. In his post-race interview, the 34-year-old reflected on his win and said (via BBC):

"It's hard to believe. I still don't understand what is happening. The last laps were quite long. I need a bit of time [for it to sink in] but it's just magic. With the rain tyres at the beginning, we had to control. Marc came back pretty fast but I could control the gap. Just wow!"

Zarco's countryman and Haas F1 driver Esteban Ocon was impressed by the former's performance and gave a one-word reaction to the MotoGP racer's victory, writing:

"Wow."

The 28-year-old F1 race winner is racing for the American team in the 2025 season alongside Oliver Bearman after cutting ties with Alpine at the end of the 2024 season.

Esteban Ocon praises Oliver Bearman's ability in his rookie year

Haas F1 driver Esteban Ocon said that his rookie teammate Oliver Bearman was above the other rookie drivers this year in terms of technical ability behind the wheel.

The French driver told Motorsportweek of his young British teammate:

“Honestly, he’s been great, Ollie’s been amazing. He’s a super quick driver, super talented, very professional, and very detailed on the car set-up. I think that’s straight away the thing I saw; technically, he’s above any rookies that I’ve seen in the past."

“He’s much more prepared than I was when I arrived in F1 or than any of our generation, I would say. Honestly, I think he has a bright future in Formula 1 – that is very clear,” Ocon added.

Esteban Ocon has been pushed by his rookie teammate in the first six races and two Sprints of the 2025 season. Although the French driver has scored 14 points and is ninth in the drivers' standings, eight points ahead of the Brit, who is 15th, the duo have been nip and tuck in terms of results and on-track performances.