F1 2020: Esteban Ocon accepts apology from interviewer who called him a ‘French f***’

It came after last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix when Ocon and Norris were locking in a controversy during qualifying.

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The interviewer, Jack Plooij from Dutch outfit Ziggo Sport, questioned Norris after a slow out lap in qualifying in which Ocon tried to get Norris to overtake him in order to benefit from a tow, slowed right down.

Norris qualified in 10th ultimately before sealing seventh in the actual race.

“I was behind the Renaults (on the out lap), and they were going extremely slowly,” Norris said.

“You’re not allowed to really go that slow unnecessarily anyway and he did, so I had to pass them and therefore I just didn’t have any slipstream.

“It’s probably a grey area because you can do it in the last corner, but only because you’re in traffic and you have to leave a gap to the guy ahead. But in the middle of the racetrack … to go that slowly was just a bit dangerous. That’s all I‘ve got to say.”

Ricciardo and Ocon before the Belgian Grand Prix.

However, Plooij ran with it.

“That French f***, was driving dangerously you said? Did you speak already to him?” Plooij asked Norris to which the Brit could only muster a “whoa” with a nervous laugh before bantering his way through the rest of the interview.

But the comment has drawn some heat with the Dutch presenter taking to Twitter to make an apology to the 23-year-old Renault driver.

There was commotion about my question to @LandoNorris about @OconEsteban. Both are top athletes and i have never the intention to harm or abuse anybody!! @ZiggoSportF1 Apologies!!

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F1 2020: Esteban Ocon accepts apology from interviewer who called him a ‘French f***’