Abu Dhabi: ART Grand Prix’ Esteban Ocon pipped Luca Ghiotto to the GP3 series title after finishing third in the final race of the season at Yas Marina Circuit — ahead of the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — on Sunday.

Ocon had gone into the last race with a narrow six-point lead over Trident’s Ghiotto after finishing fourth in Saturday’s penultimate race where a five-second penalty for running wide had denied the Frenchman victory.

Luckily for Ocon however, he still finished ahead of Ghiotto in fifth in that penultimate duel. In the final race the Frenchman sealed the championship, finishing just ahead of Ghiotto again, with the Italian coming fourth.

Meanwhile, Campos Racing’s Alex Palou got his first win and podium of the year in the final race finishing ahead of Carlin’s Antonio Fuoco.

Ocon had started from fifth on the grid, one behind Ghiotto, but the Italian fell to sixth early on after Ocon veered into his fellow title-rival and damaged his front wing.

Both Palou and Fuoco got away from pole and second respectively and held their lead but despite gaining two positions from his earlier incident, Ghiotto couldn’t get ahead of Ocon in third.

This is Ocon’s second consecutive single-seater title after winning the European Formula Three championship last year. And it was announced before the final race that the 19-year-old would join Mercedes’ F1 side in 2016.

“Yes, we’ve taken up the option on him,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff of Ocon. “He has been with us now for a while, he has been a test driver in DTM and integrated well, and he is doing a very good job in GP3.

“He is somebody we would very much like to have in the family, this is why we exercise the option, but it doesn’t mean we have found a solution for Pascal,” Wolff said of current Mercedes F1 reservist Pascal Wehrlein, who is rumoured to be joining Manor in 2016.

“The current driver market is a bit difficult because most of the teams have already announced their drivers and it needs to be the right deal — but having taken up Esteban we are conscious that we need to find a suitable programme for both of them.

“It could well mean that it could eventually end up for both of them in a testing role, in a reserve driver role and in a DTM role — so it’s not done yet.”