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Ocon, who will have to wait until the second in-season test
at Silverstone in July, has a Mercedes contract but is also the
Renault reserve and gave positive feedback about that team's
upgraded engine on Tuesday.
"You will be surprised," he told reporters at the Circuit de
catalunya after completing 105 laps. "It is really good. I can
tell it will be quicker for sure."
The highly-rated driver, who took part in Friday practice for
Renault at the Spanish Grand Prix, also said that he was excited
to be driving the Mercedes on Wednesday.
The champions said instead that a race-experienced driver was
needed to test new developments and turned to Wehrlein, the
team's German reserve who has been placed with Mercedes-powered
Manor this season.
Red Bull, who use Renault engines with Tag Heuer branding, won
Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona while Mercedes drew a
blank when Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided and put
themselves out of the race.
Wehrlein, 21, tested on Tuesday for Manor before handing the car
over to the team's British development driver Jordan King.
Rosberg, the championship leader and winner of four of five
races, tested on Tuesday and reigning champion Hamilton was not
in Barcelona.
The decision means triple champion Hamilton will now not take
part in any in-season testing this year as teams have only four
days available each and two of them must be given to
inexperienced young drivers.
Sunday's 18-year-old race winner Max Verstappen was also testing
with Red Bull on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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