Esteban Ocon is "convinced" he could battle "one of the greats" in Max Verstappen if Alpine improves.
The two drivers have a long history together, with Ocon notably beating Verstappen to the 2014 European Formula 3 championship, in what was the Dutchman's first year of single-seater racing.
Since then, however, their careers have taken different paths as Max immediately joined F1 at Toro Rosso in 2015, was promoted to Red Bull in 2016 and then won two world titles in 2021 and 2022.
In contrast, Ocon has only raced in midfield teams throughout his F1 career, which began in 2016, though did claim a first win with Alpine in Hungary in 2021.
But should he find himself battling Verstappen at the front in F1 someday, Esteban is sure he could go toe-to-toe with his former rival.
"I am convinced of that, and I have to [be]," the Frenchman told Dutch publication NOS. "If you don't believe in yourself, you are already hopeless in this sport.
"I'm growing every weekend. Moreover, the gaps between the teams will become smaller and smaller in the coming years.
"I have a contract until the end of 2024 and this team is going to do everything it can to close the gap to the top. I have confidence in that and am fully committed."
Because of their history, Ocon and Verstappen have had a fractious relationship, something which was only really seen in F1 after they collided in Brazil in 2018.
But..."We get along fine now and have a lot of respect for each other," Ocon said. "I wish him all the best.
"He is simply a super talent now. Max is always competitive and has been for years.
"I've known it since I was a kid, ever since karting, he dominated championships. After that, he was fast in every car he was in.
"His world titles are richly deserved," he acknowledged. "I'm proud that a driver I grew up with is emerging like this.
"Max is a shining representative of my generation. He is one of the greats of this sport."
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