Ocon: WRC stars must have "balls of steel"
Alpine Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon says that rally drivers have “balls of steel” after gaining his first experience of the sport on Thursday.

The Frenchman drove an Alpine A110S on the first two stages of the Monte Carlo Rally as the official VIP course car, carrying his regular race number, 31.
Ocon admitted that driving the sportscar on the slippery wet roads, while being fed information by a co-driver, took some getting used to.
His only previous experience of an Alpine came when he lapped the Nurburgring during the Eifel GP weekend last year.
“It was good fun, awesome, I really enjoyed my time on those roads,” he said. “First experience in rally, not the easiest one to start with. But yeah, I had a blast. I felt more and more comfortable, the more I was going through those roads.
“There's always like a lot of tricky parts, a lot of grip changes and all that, so it's very different to what I'm used to.

Esteban Ocon, Alpine A110S
Photo by: Alpine
“You need to listen to the co-driver as well, which is not an easy thing. Get it in the right time, and when you are focusing in a corner, you already start to hear what's coming next.
“I was managing that a lot better in the end, and all in all, it was awesome fun. And the car was handling really well, so it was really good."
Asked what he thought of the regular WRC drivers, Ocon made it clear that he now has even more respect for them.
"Heroes! What else can I say? I was watching the onboards already always, after the events, just to watch," he said. "And it looks fast, it looks well controlled when you watch [Sebastien] Ogier, when they cut the roads. And it looks cool.
“But when you drive in real, it looks a lot more narrow, and a lot more difficult. So it's not the same animal when you are there in real. And I tell you, it's very tricky.
"So honestly, hats off to them. They have proper balls, balls of steel."
Related video

Hyundai “cannot be proud” of Rally Monte Carlo efforts
Monte Carlo WRC: Ogier secures 50th career win

Latest news
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge
How Rovanpera's Croatia turnaround sent a message to his WRC rivals
After a dominating Rally Croatia, a wrong tyre choice on the final day looked to have undone all Kalle Rovanpera's hard work and left him with a mountain to climb heading into the power stage. That he emerged the winner all the same has surely quelled any lingering doubts that the Finn is the man to beat in the 2022 WRC
How M-Sport's faith in Loubet led to a WRC reprieve after a dismal 2021
It's fair to say 2021 was a year to forget for Pierre-Louis Loubet. A maiden full World Rally Championship season offered hope but soon turned into a nightmare that ended in hospital, after being hit by a car in a road traffic accident. Now handed a lifeline by M-Sport, the Frenchman is desperate to rebuild his career
Why WRC mechanics deserve more respect
The drivers get the glare of attention, but it’s the mechanics who are key to the operation of any World Rally Championship car. Motorsport.com donned a set of overalls and joined M-Sport on a Belgian national rally event to get an inside look into the life of a rally mechanic.
The African McRae aiming to become a WRC pioneer
Taking his first step into the Junior World Rally Championship category, McRae Kimathi - named after 1995 world champion Colin - found himself in the unfamiliar climes of Sweden's snow and ice. Having impressed, Kimathi hopes to blaze a trail to the top level of WRC and help other African drivers to step onto the ladder
How Rovanpera grabbed the Rally Sweden spotlight
After a blockbuster opening act to the new era of the World Rally Championship with the battle of the Sebastiens at Monte Carlo, Rally Sweden would be the first chance to assess the next superstar of rallying. While teething issues with the new hybrid power thwarted some of the cast, Kalle Rovanpera’s display gave him headline billing
The "painful" journey behind the WRC's generational tech innovation
As the company selected to provide the hybrid kits for the 2022 World Rally Championship, the pressure was on Compact Dynamics at the Monte Carlo season opener. Needing to treat all three manufacturers equally, it wasn't a straightforward process, but its first big test was a resounding success that bodes well for the future.
The mentality shift key to Lappi’s shot at WRC redemption
He appeared poised to become the World Rally Championship’s new bright young star five years ago, but Esapekka Lappi's fortunes since his 2017 breakthrough win offer a cautionary tale of how the tables can turn. Now having rebuilt his career, the Finn is determined to make the most of his second shot at the big time with Toyota.