Ocon gets Formula E run in Pau

Mercedes junior and reigning Formula 3 European champion Esteban Ocon will sample Formula E machinery for the first time during this weekend's Pau Grand Prix.

A pair of the all-electric series' Spark-Renault SRT_01E cars will run over the weekend in demonstration sessions, with Ocon to drive one on both Saturday and Sunday.

It adds to a busy month for Ocon, who made his first Formula 1 appearance of 2015 on Wednesday with Force India during Barcelona's in-season test, and won on his debut in GP3 at the same circuit to leave the opening round with the championship lead.

A week earlier, the Frenchman was signed by Mercedes as a reserve and test driver for its DTM program, with the manufacturer also putting an option on his future.

Ocon – who won the opening race of last year's Pau European F3 round – will share the seat-time with ex-F1 racer Jerome D'Ambrosio, currently sixth in Formula E, and French GT driver Mike Parisy.

The demonstration comes a week after Formula E raced in Europe for the first time, on a shortened Monaco circuit.

Last month, Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag told AUTOSPORT that the series had been approached by more than 180 cities interested in hosting races, but that it was more likely to explore new markets than chase existing motorsport venues such as Pau.

"We want to go to new places, like Hong Kong, maybe Paris, maybe Mexico," he said.

Originally on Autosport.com